tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15154011113101820672018-08-14T03:57:23.800-07:00Airy PersiflageBev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.comBlogger4110125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1515401111310182067.post-74032109160917442522018-08-10T10:18:00.000-07:002018-08-10T10:18:07.853-07:00Grub #32<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://wheel.dcn.davis.ca.us/~basykes/gilbert.htm">Gilbert</a><span>&nbsp;</span>has been dead 32 years and tonight we celebrated the 31st "Gala reinterrment of Uncle Buddy," the dinner which began the year after his death with four of us getting together to commemorate the first anniversary, expanded over the years to include as many as 20 or more people (a mistake) and for the last 20 years or so has just been the devoted 9:&nbsp; 4 actors, 2 techies, a musician, a dresser, and me.&nbsp; The group has seen death and illness but we have remained intact and these are some of my closest friends, though I only see them once a year.&nbsp; As we are all aging and each has his or her own "organ recital" each year, you never know when this will be the last dinner for someone.&nbsp; Our oldest is 80 and she is no longer able to spend the whole evening chit chatting, so leaves early.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><div align="left">Mezzo Soprano, Jeanne Ziaja was the first to leave, dying of a heart attack, all too soon and at a much too young age.&nbsp; Her husband, the 10' tall baritone John continued to join us until health problems kept him housebound.&nbsp; Then we lost Adrian MacNamara, who was an actor and also the first president of the Lamplighters.&nbsp; He served as president for many years.&nbsp; His wife Connie came for a year or two after Adrian's death, but it was a long drive for her.&nbsp; Then Will Connolly, one of Gilbert's best friends, had the audacity to die.&nbsp; A big spark left with him and he is still sorely missed, especially because he was the organizer of the event year after year.&nbsp;</div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">The wonderful actress Marie Clyde, who was one of the earliest Lamplighters and who had been Gilbert's friend and shared a house with him for many years, just gradually stopped coming.&nbsp; So now we are 9.</div><div align="left"><br /></div></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ecfa9c; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span></span><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The drive down was through haze and smoke since there are so many fires burning in California right now.&nbsp; Fortunately none close to us.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">But once we hit the San Francisco Bay area it was clear and<span>&nbsp;</span><i>cool.</i></span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="2" height="396" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Aug/ggtraffic.jpg" width="500" /></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">That little finger of fog that will envelope the bridge by sundown was just starting to roll in.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">We got to the<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.presidiosocialclub.com/">Presidio Social Club</a><span>&nbsp;</span>nearly an hour early, but Jill was already sipping a cocktail at the bar and Roger was waiting out in his car, so we went to our table to await the others.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Presidio Social Club was one part of the Army installment when the Presidio was a working base, so it's nothing to look at from the outside.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="2" height="234" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Aug/socialclub.jpg" width="400" /></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">But inside it has the look, ambience, service and prices of the 5 star restaurant.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="2" height="335" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Aug/ourtable.jpg" width="500" /><br />Our table was over by the window in the back</span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I wish the food matched the decor and the attentive staff, but it just has always been sort of lackluster for me.&nbsp; Of course, my special of the day, shrimp scampi, was pretty tasty.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="2" height="400" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Aug/shrimp.jpg" width="500" /></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Many years ago, we used to retire to someone's home to keep the evening going long into the night, but none of us is up to that now, so when dinner was finished we said goodbye and headed back across the Golden Gate, through the fog, which was now covering the whole city.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="2" height="434" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Aug/ggbridge.jpg" width="500" /></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">A finger of fog rolling down Mt Tamalpais in Marin county was our farewell to fog and cool weather.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="2" height="333" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Aug/fog.jpg" width="500" /></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">And so it's over for another year, but I feel all warm and fuzzy inside, having spent another evening with our friends.&nbsp; I say it every year...Gilbert would be amazed that we have kept this tradition going for 31 years.</span></span></div></div>Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1515401111310182067.post-89625105820584304042018-08-08T13:56:00.003-07:002018-08-08T14:04:25.255-07:00This and That<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">So Walt went to the Urologist yesterday but they made the appontment wrong.&nbsp; He was supposed to come in the morning to have the catheter removed and then return in the afternoon to check to see how his bladder has handled not having a catheter.&nbsp; They had to reschedule so he's now due for his appointment next week.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I didn't get to my blood draw either since it was so late by the time he got back from Kaiser I decided to just wait until today to get it done.&nbsp; Today Walt is working and when he gets home we will get the blood draw done.&nbsp; I sure hope the numbers go down this week, though I have no visible signs of improvement.&nbsp; I think I'm just getting used to dealing with non-functioning limbs, and if it's up to Ned, I will be getting all the exercise I can stand to make things better.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">*&nbsp; *&nbsp; *&nbsp; *</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I took one of those tests on Facebook today, checking which words I used most often in 2018.&nbsp; The results are not surprising, but nonetheless depressing.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="2" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Aug/words.jpg" height="262" width="500" /></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">It's depressing when I realize that I try very hard NOT to use the word "Trump" but to use "#45" instead.&nbsp; They don't count numbers, I guess.&nbsp; It would be interesting to see how this changes if "#45" is included in the tally.&nbsp; or not.&nbsp; It would obviously be even more depressing!</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;*&nbsp; *&nbsp; *&nbsp; *</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Last night I asked Walt how he would feel about Chinese food.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">"If&nbsp; you want to cook it, I'll eat it," he responded, gracefully.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then I told him that I meant how would he feel about going out to BUY some Chinese food to bring home, which he also did just as gracefully.&nbsp; I can cook Chinese food, but it just nevertastes as good as that from a restaurant that speciaizes in it.&nbsp; And it was worth it -- Chow mein, fried rice, chicken with mushrooms, and honey walnut shrimp.&nbsp; Probably enough to put the hair of any native Chinese person on edge, but it sure tasted delicious, and just what the doctor ordered.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">*&nbsp; *&nbsp; *&nbsp; *</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have finished the random journal I was making for Swap Bot.&nbsp; T his swap was ridiculous, since the date to sign up was September 30 and your books have to be sent by October 13.&nbsp; The swap was posted in June, I believe.&nbsp; I started working on it when I got inspired an I actually finished it a week ago, and still don't know who my partner is.&nbsp; But I sure had fun working on it.&nbsp; It's also twice as long as it was supposed to be (it's about 80 pages long)</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img align="left" border="2" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Aug/blood.jpg" height="400" hspace="10" vspace="10" width="300" />This was one of my favorite pages.&nbsp; The opposite page has pictures from Bloodsource, offering donors free movie tickets for donating.&nbsp; But it seemed rather plain to me until&nbsp; figured out that the used blood test strips might make an interesting decorating and I was&nbsp; tickled at how they looked across the flyer here.</span></span></div><div align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="2" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Aug/oz.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">This was also fun to do, with paper dolls for Nelson Mandella, Berne Sanders, the Dalai Lama and the Supreme Court.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">And I really liked this page</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="2" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Aug/books.jpg" height="375" width="500" /></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">It's all related to reading and I found the baby in a Parenting magazine I found at Kaiser</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now that this book is finished, I have started on the next, due September 7.&nbsp; At least this time I already know who my partner is, unlike the previous swap.</span></span></div></div>Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1515401111310182067.post-32105703534132148242018-08-07T15:17:00.000-07:002018-08-07T15:17:04.155-07:00The Enforcer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wow.&nbsp; 2:30 p.m. and I'm just<span>&nbsp;</span><i>starting</i><span>&nbsp;</span>this entry--and it's the one for today, not for tomorrow.&nbsp; Usually if I'm writing FTW at 2:30 it's the one to be posted for tomorrow.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Last night was one of those insomnia-horrible nights.&nbsp; Finally at 6 a.m., after a night of crying for being so sleepy and so unable to get to sleep I decided to go into the couch, even though I wasn't sure I could get off the couch, but figured it was late enough that if I got paralyzed on the couch, as I have before, it wasn't that long before Walt would be up.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, Linus-like, I trailed my blanket along behind me so I could cocoon under it and finally sleep, sat on the couch, punched my pillow into a nice soft lump, laid my head on it, and realized there was no way I could lift my legs to the couch.&nbsp; I tried several things, but they resolutely refused to budge.&nbsp; I thought of sleeping with just half my body on the couch but realized my muscles would really rebel at that when I woke up, so I got up and went back to the recliner again and, finally, slept for about an hour.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">When I woke up, though, I realized I had to finish a review and get it to the paper by noon.&nbsp; Walt was going to take me to the lab to get my blood test, but I told him I would have to finish the review first.&nbsp; It was a good review and I had fun writing it, but it was 11:30 before I got it sent off to the paper.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ned was coming to pick Walt up to take him to his Urology appointment in Vacaville (we are all appointments, all the time around here!) and I had this feeling that the lab at Kaiser in Davis closed over lunch time so thought it was too late to go and I had it in my head that his appointment was at 2 and knew that if we waited until afternoon, he would not be home in time to meet Ned, so I suggested that we either went when he got home from his appointment or go tomorrow morning -- I just have to have a weekly blood test and a day or two late isn't going to make that much difference.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">But back to yesterday, Ned, the enforcer, arrived around 10 or 11 or so.&nbsp; He had been to the senior center where, we heard, you could borrow walkers.&nbsp; Turns out this is where people take their equipment of old age when they are no longer needed and they have such a surplus that when Ned asked how long he could keep something, they told hi forever.&nbsp; So I now have two free walkers, one the metal kind that you put tennis balls on and one the kind with a seat on it.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">He informed me that he had brought my spa bag and that we would take the walker, go to Atria to visit my mother and to get me a shower.&nbsp; He said that he would not take me to the side door, but to the front so that I would have to walk the entire hallway because I needed the exercise.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I found out that it was MUCH easier to walk the hall with the wheeled walker and I didn't have to stop at all.&nbsp; My mother was in her room, sound asleep, flat on her back, which was unusual for her.&nbsp; She usually sleeps under covers, curled up.&nbsp; She looked like she was laid out, but she was breathing.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">While she slept, Ned set e up in the bathroom for a shower, and left me to my own devices.&nbsp; more difficult this time than last time because last time my legs worked.&nbsp; But the job got done and the aide who came in to empty the garbage was definitely surprised to find me there dressing.&nbsp; It was good, though, because she was able to help me get my legs in my pants.&nbsp; I swear, I'm going to move in with my mother any day now!</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was a relatively good day for her, meaning she woke up and was alert and talkative, if making no sense, but she smiled and reacted appropriately and we had a good time with her.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="2" height="396" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Aug/nedgma.jpg" width="500" /></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">When we got home, Walt's brother was here visiting, but he and Ned left soon because we all hoped to catch Jeri's live streaming concert from Berklee College of Music.&nbsp; I thought this was her personal concert, which she does with a pianist friend of hers, but it was her musical theater students doing a concert version of<span>&nbsp;</span><i>Jekyll and Hyde,</i><span>&nbsp;</span>with Jeri the orchestra conductor</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="2" height="375" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Aug/coductor2.jpg" width="500" /></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ever the mom, I sat at my computer hitting "print screen" from time to time when the conductor showed.&nbsp; I was tickled to get this shot.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="2" height="375" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Aug/conductor5.jpg" width="500" /></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">As a<span>&nbsp;</span><i>critic</i>, I was mentally comparing the performances with the full show we had seen here in Davis recently.&nbsp; The kids did a good job and one can certainly see how much emotion they put into their performances.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">So the day ended.&nbsp; As "night" arrives these days, I hate it, knowing that I have several hours of trying to sleep ahead of me.&nbsp; Maybe tonight will be better....</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the meantime, The Enforcer is going to make sure that I get my exercises done, that I have the equipment to make life easier, and I hate him for it because I'm, at heart, lazy , but love him for it because if I'm ever going to get over this "whatever it is it will be because Ned is so diligent and so loving.</span></span></div></div>Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1515401111310182067.post-54460050576226922592018-08-06T00:00:00.000-07:002018-08-06T00:00:03.495-07:00With a Bang AND a Whimper<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Age doesn't creep up on you slowly.&nbsp; Sometimes it just hits you over the head and BAM you're old.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Last night I fell again.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Oh it was lovely.&nbsp; Maybe not as dramatic as the last two falls but it had a better audience.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">We were leaving the Woodland Opera House after seeing a fantastic production of<span>&nbsp;</span><i>Shrek</i>.&nbsp; I was pleased that I was able to get to my feet after the show with minimal difficulty (Walt pointed out it was much easier when my pants weren't falling down!)</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">To leave the opera house, you either climb up all the kinda small stairs from the orchestra to get to the elevator or you climb up 3-4 bigger stairs to get to outside and then downstairs with a nice hand railing.&nbsp;<span>&nbsp;</span><i>Down</i><span>&nbsp;</span>stairs is not a problem.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I waited until the theater was almost empty and then headed up the 3-4 stairs.&nbsp; I had my cane in one hand, a nice banister in the other, and Walt behind me.&nbsp; I made it up the first two or three steps and then my foot wouldn't go high enough to go up the last step and there I was falling in slow motion, surrounded by other members of the audience trying to get out, and all grabbing at me, breaking my fall.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">At least they could have given me a round of applause.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">It only took 2 or 3 people to get me up this time, compared to the 4 it has taken before (I forgot to mention that at Red Lobster, I hadn't fallen, but I needed the assistance of a waiter to get out of the booth we were sitting in).</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">No harm, no foul, and going back to the car was easy -- it was even easy getting into the car, since the door was at the curb level so that I only had to step<span>&nbsp;</span><u>down</u><span>&nbsp;</span>and not<span>&nbsp;</span><u>up</u>.&nbsp; I was aware that I was very shaky though, and remained shaky for an hour or so after we got home.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the morning, I woke up, got up out of the recliner and took a step toward the hall, holding onto my cane, and my other knee nearly gave out.&nbsp; It was just like after the first fall I took.&nbsp; I must have twisted the knee in the fall.&nbsp; I wasn't sure I could make it down the hall and fortunately, as I passed the kitchen, my old cane was there and with the help of two canes and lots of wincing, I made it to the bathroom.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was afraid I would not be able to get off of the toilet, and it was more difficult than usual, but I was able to do it.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">In my slow progression back to the recliner, I made the decision that the time has come to get a medical alert button.&nbsp; If I'm here with Walt, that's OK.&nbsp; If I am alone, and I fall, there is no way I can get back up again.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thanks to the wonderful people on Facebook, I had suggestions that ranged from getting a knee replacement to getting Amazon's Alexa that would call 911 for me, to a bunch of other things that wouldn't work for my situation, but I did get a couple of workable suggestions which I will check out tomorrow.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I also have suggestions for walkers, because I agree it's time for a walker.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Just a few weeks ago I was fairly mobile and now it's weekly blood tests, legs that won't work, medic alert, walker, stool to sit on when I cook, and lord knows what else.&nbsp; I'm suddenly<span>&nbsp;</span><i>old</i>, guys!&nbsp; My appetite has also decreased so much that I am afraid I am not getting enough nutrients and have started drinking Boost once a day.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I don't think I've seen my mother in 3 weeks and I can't even think of walking the hall to see her right now.&nbsp; I'm grateful just to make it to the bathroom.&nbsp; Which is another issue.&nbsp; Depending on whether this new knee thing is temporary or not, I may have to consider a raised bathroom seat, which I hate the idea of, but if it's that or sitting on the toilet until Walt passes by, that may be a necessity.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">And then there is Walt who still has his catheter in.&nbsp; I feel like we have become our own private medical center.&nbsp; His brother is coming to visit tomorrow -- which he has never done on his own, I don't believe!&nbsp; I feel like he's making a hospital visit.&nbsp; Maybe he'll bring chocolate.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I think all these falls are also affecting me mentally.&nbsp; I sat here at the computer for half an hour very frustrated because Berklee was supposed to broadcast Jeri's annual concert at 5 p.m. our time and it wasn't coming on.&nbsp; I didn't know why but was very disappointed that I would miss it.&nbsp; It wasn't until Walt came downstairs to show me what the screen I was looking at was saying that I realized the concert is MONDAY and today is SUNDAY.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I think I'll go back to sleep now.</span></span></div></div>Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1515401111310182067.post-63068923217364337782018-08-04T12:52:00.000-07:002018-08-04T12:52:54.219-07:00Yummy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'm back!&nbsp; Didja miss me?&nbsp; Nothing had really happened the day before except that Walt went to see his doctor in the morning, and learned that everything seemed fine and his instructions were good.&nbsp; Then in the afternoon, Ned took him to his surgeon appointment and he will have hernia surgery next month.&nbsp; The doctor appointment was here in Davis, so he was able to drive himself, but I was glad Ned was available to drive him to the surgeon's office.&nbsp; Also just kind of&nbsp; ... I dunno ... heartwarming to see Ned taking care of his Dad.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yesterday, continuing our tour of doctors' offices, it was my turn to go to the eye doctor in Sacramento (about the same distance from Davis in the opposite direction from the surgeon's office.&nbsp; Walt drove, so I guess he really could have driven to the surgeon's office too, but it was nice to have Ned to ask questions Walt might forget to ask.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Anyway, this was my annual exam. I actually never got around to it last year.&nbsp; With diabetes, I'm supposed to have an eye exam yearly and I figured I could use a stronger prescription by now.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was first seen by the doctor's assistant, a recent graduate who seemed<span>&nbsp;</span><i>very</i><span>&nbsp;</span>efficient and<span>&nbsp;</span><i>very<span>&nbsp;</span></i>thorough, though she skipped the classes on patient interaction.&nbsp; She always spoke to me with her back&nbsp; turned and in a very low voice.&nbsp; I had forgotten to wear my hearing aids.&nbsp; You'd think that after 2 or 3...or 5 or 6....requests to repeat what she aid she would automatically speak louder, but she never did.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Equipment is different from 2 years ago.&nbsp; Instead of going through endless "this or that" lenses, she picked out2, did a this or that and that was it.&nbsp; She also spent a lot of time on the computer getting all of her observations recorded.&nbsp; While she did that, I was looking at the eye chart, seeing how many words I could make out of the visible letters!</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><div align="left">The doctor came in, checked his assistant's notes, did a cursory exam, happily said that my eyes show that my blood sugar is in good control and wrote me a "tweaked" prescription for glasses.</div><div align="left">Next off to optometry to get glasses.&nbsp; There will be no surprise when they come...I am getting exactly the same frames.&nbsp; I had my choice of what I have now (blue) or in brown.&nbsp; I am not a big fan of brown, so I went with what I have now.&nbsp; There was a similar pair that had kind of a pattern on it, which I kind of liked, but not $70 more worth.&nbsp; The woman helping me was sharply efficient and looked like she was suckng a lemon the whole time.&nbsp; But the order got made and they will be delivered to the Davis office.</div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">Then came the fun.</div><div align="left"><br /></div></span></span><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have been watching Red Lobster commercials for their crab fest, which is going on now.&nbsp; I know there is a Red Lobster near Kaiser ('cause I've eaten there several times when I was indulging myself!).&nbsp; I convinced Walt we should go there for lunch.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="2" height="461" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Aug/crabfest.jpg" width="500" /></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">In truth, the prices have increased significantly from last time I indulged myself, but oh so good!&nbsp; I had the crabfest combo (the middle picture) and gave some of the legs to Walt, who ordered crab linguini.&nbsp; We both ate more than our fill and were able to bring home enough leftovers for dinner tonight, so all things considered, the prices weren't all that bad.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I actually ate more than I thought I could. What I like about the combo is that is has lots of Dungeness crab, along with that delicious Alaskan King crab.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="2" height="500" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Aug/crabshell.jpg" width="500" /></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I left a very happy camper.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">We both came home and took naps, getting up in time for the evening's show,<span>&nbsp;</span><i>The Twelve Huntsmen</i><span>&nbsp;</span>by Acme Theater Company, Davis' oldest theater company.&nbsp; Jeri was one of the founders, around 35 years ago.&nbsp; This show was written by an Acme alum who graduated in 2002 and directed by a woman who had been in Acme with Jeri and now works in theater in New York.&nbsp; (When she came to meet me at intermission and I saw this middle aged woman with more grey hair than I have, I realized how old Jeri really is....she she has no visible grey hair and of course is still our "little girl.")</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Anyway, it was a nice, full day.&nbsp; Everybody is healthy, and we will have crab for dinner tonight!&nbsp; Best of all, I had a good night's sleep.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3V0bthLlhzs/W2XvKjm_BnI/AAAAAAAAcOs/jQeZzvKPVxM0NRvYBvdcam26v2_HAGxmQCLcBGAs/s1600/crablegs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3V0bthLlhzs/W2XvKjm_BnI/AAAAAAAAcOs/jQeZzvKPVxM0NRvYBvdcam26v2_HAGxmQCLcBGAs/s400/crablegs.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div></div>Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1515401111310182067.post-44186663145284141332018-08-02T08:26:00.002-07:002018-08-02T08:26:21.795-07:00Walt's Busy Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I actually slept pretty well last night.&nbsp; I dozed off early and did my usual seep-wake cycle all night and woke up finally at 3:30 or so, but that was after several hours of sleep and I felt good.&nbsp; I got up at 4 and wrote Funny the World and then snuck back to the recliner, where I went to sleep for another couple of hours.&nbsp; I was vaguely aware of Walt making coffee, but he was not around when I finally woke up.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">When he finally appeared, he seemed uneasy and finally admitted that he had a full bladder, but was unable to urinate.&nbsp; He was starting to be in great pain.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I told him to call the Kaiser advice nurse, who advised him to go to the emergency room.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now the problem is that the emergency room is in Vacaville, about 20 miles away....and I can't drive.&nbsp; He himself could barely<span>&nbsp;</span><i>sit</i>, let alone drive.&nbsp; I knew Ned was busy helping a friend today, but I called him and he did not answer.&nbsp; I left a text message.&nbsp;</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">What to do?</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I decided to take a chance on our friend Jessica, who works with old people and who has offered many times to help us if we ever needed her.&nbsp; Bless her she said "I'll be there in 7 minutes" ... and she was.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I told her she could just drop him off and that I was sure Ned would be able to pick him up later, but she stayed with him until 1:30 and was able to fire off a text storm letting me know what was going on at each step of the process.&nbsp; I don't think I've exchanged so many texts since i got my cell phone!</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Best for Walt was that they catheterized him and removed roughly 3-1/2 cups of urine.&nbsp; They left the catheter in place and will remove it tomorrow, when he returns (Ned will drive him then).</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">He meets with a surgeon tomorrow.&nbsp; He was diagnosed with a hernia in 2010 but it was not causing problems and the doctor felt he could let it go for awhile.&nbsp; Apparently the ER doc guesstimates that the hernia was blocking his urine flow and it may finally be time to repair the hernia.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Things do not move quickly in the ER and Jessica finally had to leave, but Marta drove down from Sacramento and relieved her.&nbsp; It was she who brought Walt home.&nbsp; Marta is now officially a manager and so she managed his return very efficiently!&nbsp; He has sheaves of paper, bottles of pills, bags for his catheter, and other stuff.&nbsp; He retired upstairs and I suspect took a much needed nap.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="2" height="483" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Aug/cath.jpg" width="500" /><br />Polly, as always, by his side</span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the meantime, Atria called and said that my mother had scratched the skin next to her eye and got blood on her pillow and that she would need a new pillow.&nbsp; When I asked why they couldn't just wash the blood out, I was told that they are not permitted to wash anything with blood on it.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Obviously there was no way we were going to be able to get a pillow for a few days.&nbsp; I certainly can't drive one over and Walt can't now either, but the manager of Memory Care offered to go and buy a pillow and just bill her.&nbsp; I said that would be fine.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">As for ME, I'm feeling better tonight, but the knee I twisted when I fell awhile ago flared up and I could barely stand on it.&nbsp; But keeping it elevated and rested all day, as well as a cold compress on it, seems to have helped somewhat.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">We are a real pair tonight, that's for sure.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">At least Polly seems to be doing all right!&nbsp; So far.</span></span></div></div>Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1515401111310182067.post-60001569204714824832018-08-01T06:08:00.005-07:002018-08-01T06:08:59.376-07:00When Technology Fails<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">My computer hates me.&nbsp; Well, my<span>&nbsp;</span><i>computer</i><span>&nbsp;</span>doesn't hate me, but a few of my regular web sites hate me.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">On Monday, we went to Kaiser for my weekly blood draw to check KC levels.&nbsp; In the pre-dawn hours, I checked the Kaiser web site to see what the results were.&nbsp; For the second week, the numbers had gone UP, not down.&nbsp; No a lot, but I was disappointed.&nbsp; I sent a Kaiser e-mail to my doctor saying I had read the results an was there anything I should be doing proactively.&nbsp; The only instruction I had about this "whatever it is" is to stop the statin drug.&nbsp; Was there anything else I could be doing to help bring the numbers down?</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">If your blood sugar numbers are off, you adjust your diet.&nbsp; What if your KC numbers are off?&nbsp; The only thing I could find on the internet said not to exercise and to reduce red meats.&nbsp; Well, "not exercising" is a given and I have already cut way back on meat, just because I am losing my taste for it.&nbsp; So what else could I do?</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the mid-morning, I received an e-mail that I had mail waiting on the Kaiser site.&nbsp; But I could not get into the site!&nbsp; I have used the site ever since it started, many years ago.&nbsp; My log in and password have not changed and, in fact, are imbedded in the site, but when I tried to log in exactly the way I had done a couple of hours before, it said I had the wrong password.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I tried everything I could think of and finally just changed my password.&nbsp; It accepted the password change and took me back to the log-in page where I put in the freshly accepted password and it said it was the wrong password.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">OK.&nbsp; So I tried doing trouble shooting and it asked me to put in my medical record number, which it also didn't recognize!&nbsp; Apparently I no longer exist.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I sent a message to tech support and received a nice note thanking me for my note and saying they would get back to me within three days.&nbsp; Well, that didn't do diddily squat for reading my doctor's email<span>&nbsp;</span><i>today.</i></span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I finally called member support, the number you call when you need medical advice, and the nice lady there was able to access my account and read me the note from my doctor.&nbsp; I asked how I could get a message<span>&nbsp;</span><i>back</i><span>&nbsp;</span>to my doctor and she set me up with a phone appointment for later in the day.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The doctor called and seemed unconcerned about the latest numbers.&nbsp; She asked if I had been exercising before I took the test.&nbsp; I scoffed.&nbsp; She said to just have the test done again next week and be sure not to exercise, even not to go for a walk, beforehand.&nbsp; I told her that was the easiest direction I had ever received.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the late afternoon, I received an email from tech support asking me to call them, but it was too late by the tie I saw it, so I'll start that process this morning.&nbsp; In the meantime, at least m doctor knows I am not reachable by email until I write and let her know that I exist again.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">#&nbsp; #&nbsp; #&nbsp; #&nbsp; #</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The previous night I had not been able to get to sleep at all, until about 6 a.m. and then was awake at 7, so I was sleepy yesterday.&nbsp; Fortunately, Walt was off to Berkeley for his dental appointment and I was able to get some sleep.&nbsp; It came in short bursts, 15 minutes here, an hour there, etc., but by the time he got home, around 5, I was waking up from about an hour of sleep.&nbsp; I wasn't hungry at all, so just had a cup of red pepper tomato soup (my new great love!) and then went back to napping thru the rest of the night, off and on, until I was wide awake at 4 a.m.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">#&nbsp; #&nbsp; #&nbsp; #&nbsp; #</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">In one of my waking periods yesterday, I opened a package I had received from a SwapBot partner who included this very clever 2-sided draw string bag with pouches on each side.&nbsp; People are SO talented!</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="2" height="589" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Aug/bag.jpg" width="500" /></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The craft gene definitely bypassed me.&nbsp;&nbsp; I have other talents, but crafting is not one of them!</span></span></div></div>Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1515401111310182067.post-58263967475132842282018-07-31T06:10:00.000-07:002018-08-01T06:10:59.869-07:00Go Bears<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">PBS aired a documentary narrated by J.K. Simmons tonight.&nbsp; I probably would not have watched it were it not for Simmons, whose voice I enjoy.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">It told the (pun intended) grizzly story of two young women killed on the same night in two different parts of Glacier Park in 1967.&nbsp; Both were killed by different bears, the first murders by bears since the park was established in 1910 and, if I understood it correctly, the very last bear murders in the park.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">Examination of the bears after they were killed showed that both were suffering from painful conditions -- one had a mangled paw and the other (a mother with two cubs) had glass imbedded in her jaw, both of which undoubtedly made the bears a bit testy and might have contributed to their attacking the girls.&nbsp; The girls were each with groups and at a distance of several miles from each other.&nbsp; They were with guides and knew what to do and not to do, but it didn't help.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">The story of the two rescues were pretty impressive and involved landing a helicopter <i>in the dark</i> to remove one of the women, who later died in the hospital.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">The story of an event 50 years ago seems odd, but the point is that these events were what set in place the start of rules that would protect both humans and bears in the coming years.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">As I watched the show, I kept flashing back to our camping trip in Yosemite when David was a toddler.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">We didn't camp in the park itself, but up in the hills, where it was more wild.&nbsp; We had a nice campground with other people around.&nbsp; We did all things you do when camping, including enjoying s'mores. Walt got the camp site cleaned up and everything put away in bear-safe places.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">When it came time for bed we got everyone bedded down in our huge family tent and all went to sleep.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">At some point I was awakened by the unmistakable sound of a bear snuffling on the other side of the tent from where my head was.&nbsp; All I could think of was when Tom stepped in a marshmallow when we were having our s'mores.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">Had we cleaned his shoes?&nbsp; Would the bear sniff the marshmallow?</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">I was literally paralyzed with fear, trying to figure out what I would do if the bear tore through the tent...and not wanting to breathe so that he wouldn't hear me.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">Eventually the bear snuffled off and I fell asleep.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">In the morning when we woke up, the bear was in the cab of a truck across from us, having a gay ol' time tearing things up.&nbsp; I think I'm glad I had not seen this documentary before my own bear encounter.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">This afternoon, I got one of those feelings I get from time to time, an overwhelming need to lie down.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">I haven't gotten on the couch since this "whatever it is" since I had such a difficult time getting off the couch, but I just needed to lie horizontal.&nbsp; I got Walt to help and I was able to get onto the couch, though he had to lift my legs for me.&nbsp; I asked him to check back every so often in case I felt the need to get up an was unable to.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">Polly was beside herself.&nbsp; Her nighttime schedule before "whatever it is" was to lie in a chair in the family room while I doze in the recliner and then get all excited when I head off to the couch.&nbsp; Since "whatever it is," she still sleeps in the family room, but when I get up to go to the bathroom she watches me and when I get back into the recliner, she sighs, gets out of "her" chair and goes into the living room alone.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">Today when I headed for the couch she fairly danced with glee and as soon as I was lying n the couch, she jumped up and curled up on my feet (briefly).</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">As for me, it felt <i>so</i> good to be able to stretch out full length on my side with the back of the couch bracing my back. There was zero pain anywhere.&nbsp; I think I was asleep in seconds.&nbsp; Walt said he checked in on me a few times.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">I would have slept longer, but I got a huge cramp in one leg and then had to try to struggle to get that leg on the floor.&nbsp; Polly immediately started barking -- I suspect she decided I was going to get up and feed her, but I'd like to think she was letting Walt know I was up and needed his help.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;">I was able to calm the cramp, but could not get off the couch without Walt's assistance, but now that I see how it's done, I may take another nap or two on the couch in the future, when Walt is home and I know I won't be trapped on the couch again.</span></div>Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1515401111310182067.post-363327285673194402018-07-30T14:33:00.000-07:002018-07-30T14:33:24.870-07:00New House<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">ay!&nbsp; We have a new house.&nbsp; Well, a new-<i>l<u>ooking</u></i>&nbsp;house.&nbsp; The painters have spent two days here washing and painting and when they left yesterday, it was all finished.&nbsp; I love the new color scheme, a bluish-grey with a darker blue trim.&nbsp; I wonder if the neighbors will notice.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span>&nbsp;</span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RacAmAFKwKY/W1-DyYXJi9I/AAAAAAAAcIA/fXN_F4HpoYEehW7DmA8WsvQwkSmHppxdgCLcBGAs/s1600/paintjob.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="640" height="218" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RacAmAFKwKY/W1-DyYXJi9I/AAAAAAAAcIA/fXN_F4HpoYEehW7DmA8WsvQwkSmHppxdgCLcBGAs/s400/paintjob.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Walt came in last night and announced, with pleasure, that we had NO SPIDERS in the car port.&nbsp; I told him to check again today.&nbsp; Spiders are so plentiful in Davis, I'm certain that there will be a few families that move in overnight.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">He also told me he was going to have to climb up to re-focus the car port light, since the painters left it pointed out into the street.&nbsp; I always get fear and trembling in my heart when he talks bout climbing UP anywhere.&nbsp; The man is 78 years old and has had at least one fall off of a ladder a few years ago (not as tall as the ladder would have been to adjust the light and much more steady).&nbsp; Fortunately, he managed to find a pole that was tall enough that he could adjust the light while standing on terra firma.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The last 2 days have been about the same as every day, with the exception that we were essentially hermit-ed.&nbsp; All the windows were covered in plastic and the world outside was a grey blur.&nbsp; No way to check progress.&nbsp; No way to let Polly out, though Walt has taken her for walks after the painters leave at night.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">In truth, the hermit-ing had no impact on my life other than that I could not look out the window, but I did briefly get excited that Walt said the first night that we probably should not cook so he would go out and buy some Chinese food for us.&nbsp; My favorite thing to do!&nbsp; Then he remembered he was going to a retirement party, so there went my Chinese dinner.&nbsp; I would not have enjoyed the party if I were normal, but there was no way I was going to go with my leg weakness.&nbsp; I didn't know the honoree anyway.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">So I had a spoonful of peanut butter and some nachos (chips with cheese sauce on top).&nbsp; It was no chow mein.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I spent a good portion of the day writing letters to the Compassion kids.&nbsp; Actually, I was answering letters.&nbsp; I spent a good part of last week getting the incoming letters organized and now I have almost as many to deal with again.&nbsp; But it's good to hear from the kids, especially since finally some of them are starting to say more than thank you and "I'm praying for you."</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="2" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Jul/compltrs.jpg" height="375" width="500" /></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'm learning about flooding in Kenya and the work of the Red Cross, a wild animal park and the "Day of the African Child" in Budalangi, cable cars in Bogota, motor car racing and swimming in a river at a fiesta in the Philippines, and varuous sporting events.&nbsp; One of the kids wants to be a priest, another one is feeling very lonely.&nbsp; Very definitely an upgrade from "how are you, I am fine" letters.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Walt's day usually ends around 10:30 or so, after dinner and a couple of glasses of wine.&nbsp; He gives Polly her treat (she reminds him if he has forgotten) and heads off upstairs to bed.&nbsp; I stay up watching TV for a couple more hours before settling in to see whether I will be able to sleep or not.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Last night there was nothing on TV that interested me, so I started to watch the last 3 episodes of&nbsp;<i>Orange is the New Black</i>, which I had not finished (season 5--the new season just came out).</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="2" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Jul/oitnb.jpg" height="320" width="500" /></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was only going to watch one episode but couldn't stop and watched all the way to the end of Season 5.&nbsp; Then I turned everything off and tried to settle in, but I just had to find out how Season 6 starts and then forced myself to turn off Netflix.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now that my butt lesion is about cured, it's easier to sleep..."easier" being a relative term.&nbsp; Some nights I sleep very well (for me).&nbsp; Other nights, like last night, I can't get to sleep for love nor money.&nbsp; It was about 5 when I finally fell asleep and 7 when I woke up.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was nice to wake up and be able to look out the window, and even better to go outside an see the beautiful new paint job.</span></span></div></div>Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1515401111310182067.post-33248985453292489582018-07-28T00:00:00.000-07:002018-07-28T00:00:06.217-07:00Saturday 9<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></span> <br /><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span style="font-size: small;"> <img align="left" border="0" height="196" hspace="10" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Jul/MTM.png" vspace="10" width="204" />Welcome to Saturday 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme! </span> <br /><span style="font-size: small;">Saturday 9: Love Is All Around (1970)<br /> <br /> Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1GC6yXZ4e4">here</a></span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">1) <b>This week's song is the theme from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, a sitcom that originally aired from 1970 to 1977. Were you a fan</b>?</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Yes.&nbsp;&nbsp; I loved the show.&nbsp; I still remember the finale.<br /> <br /> 2) <b>The song tells us that Mary Richards can turn the world on with her smile. Yet the real-life Mary Tyler Moore said she was uncomfortable with her "wide mouth." If you could improve on one of your facial features, which would you choose</b>?</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Wider rather than squinty eyes.<br /> <br /> 3) <b>We also hear that Mary can "take a nothing day and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile." What do you think makes a day "a nothing day?</b>"</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">I love "nothing days" where there is nothing on the schedule, no show to review, and no guilt about not visiting my mother.&nbsp; (These days, with my knee problems, most days are "nothing days")<br /> <br /> 4) <b>Mary works in the newsroom at WJM. Her desk is neat as a pin. Are you neat? Or do you lean to the sloppy side</b>?</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">Bwahahaha.&nbsp; Anybody who knows me, or who visits this house for 10 seconds, knows that "neat" is not a word EVER used to describe me.<br /> <br /> 5) <b>Mary's best friend, Rhoda, worked as a window dresser at Hempel's department store. What department store did you most recently shop at? What did you buy</b>?</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">I can't remember the last time I was in a department store.&nbsp; I mostly buy on line.&nbsp; I'm not a big shopper.<br /> <br /> 6) <b>Mary Richards lived in Minneapolis. What city is nearest to where you are right now</b>?</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Sacramento.<br /> <br /> 7) <b>Originally the part of Mary Richards was written as a divorcee, but in 1970, there were no TV shows that centered around a divorced woman. Think about the women in your life. Are most of them married, divorced, single or widowed</b>?</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Married or widowed.<br /> <br /> 8) <b>The MTM production company logo featured a mewing kitten. The cat was found in a Minneapolis shelter, and, after her sequence was shot, she was adopted by a crew member who named her Mimsie. What's the name of the last cat -- or dog or hamster or rabbit -- that you petted</b>?</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">Our dog, Polly.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">9) <b>Random question -- Would you rather have a job that kept you seated on your fanny or standing on your feet</b>?</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">These days I can't stand for 5 minutes without discomfort, though I have a butt that handles being seated very well.&nbsp; (And as a theater critic, my job pretty much requires that I sit all the time!)</span></div></div>Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1515401111310182067.post-2746209063748892312018-07-27T12:02:00.002-07:002018-07-27T12:02:58.487-07:00The Heart of Social Media<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">We hear so much these days about how negative social media has become -- and it has.&nbsp; Facebook posts and tweets have become so ugly and hateful, and the art of intelligent conversation seems to have been replaced by name calling and insults.&nbsp; Sometimes I have to shut it down because I just can't take it any more, especially when lead by the Tweeter in Chief.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">But we forget that there is also a good side to the internet.&nbsp; People are not all bad.&nbsp; In fact, some are downright wonderful.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">This morning I heard the story of a 4 year old boy, dying from kidney failure, who received a kidney from someone who read his story on Facebook.&nbsp; It's not the first such story of such selfless generosity I have read.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yesterday I received a phone call from someone who just wanted to find out if I was OK.&nbsp; I don't believe I've ever spoken with her before and I don't think she has ever posted to the guest book, but she was worried that she had not seen an entry since July 5.&nbsp; Knowing that this happens from time to time, I suggested she clear her cache and that might solve the problem, as it has for others in the past.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I assumed she was reading Funny the World, but she had been reading the mirror site,<a href="http://airypersiflage.blogspot.com/">Airy Persiflage</a><span>&nbsp;</span>on Blogger.&nbsp; Then I felt guilty because I have not updated that site since we left for Santa Barbara and she's right--there are no new entries.&nbsp; So I apologized profusely, assured her everything was OK, and spent all day yesterday getting Airy P up to date.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">But how lovely that she cared.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">So many of you over the years have come through for me -- when I was losing weight, when I participated in various fund raising activities (especially when Ned and I had our heads shaved).&nbsp; It has always warmed the cockles of my heart -- and surprised me! -- to find how many people read this and want to help.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">And then there is Schuyler.&nbsp; I have "known" Schuyler since before she was born.&nbsp; I remember her dad's concern that he might not be a good father.&nbsp; I remember that beautiful first year of photos of this adorable little girl as she grew into her chubby cheeks and made all of us fall in love with her.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I remember sharing his concern that, nearly a year of age, she had not spoken.</span></span></div><div align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I remember the many doctor visits and tests when they finally had a diagnosis: Polymicrogyria, which is a condition in which&nbsp; the brain doe not develop normally in utero and can cause seizures, delayed development and a lot of other symptoms, including inability to make the fricative sounds that allow them to speak normally.&nbsp; Predictions for Schuyler were dire.&nbsp; They predicted disabling seizures and an inability to ever read or go to school.&nbsp; (More complicated than that, but that's the overview).</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Refusing to accept the label of the "R-word," they continued research.&nbsp; They discovered that with the help of a machine (now a cell phone, but then they called it her "big box of words") she could communicate, but it was very expensive, so many of us who had followed her story up to then chipped in and they were able to get it for her.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Rob wrote a book "Schuyler's Monster, a father's journey with his wordless daughter" which we all bought. Following publication of the book, Rob got very active in the disabled community and he and Schuyler have attended many, many conferences and shared their experiences.</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="2" height="331" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Jul/schbook.jpg" width="500" /></span></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Through the years, we have watched her ups and downs, cheered when she finished grammar school and went on to high school and joined the band (as percussionist).&nbsp; We grieved for her inability to find a friend, rejoiced when she did.&nbsp; We laughed at her love of monsters.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Last month we were so proud of her when she graduated from high school.&nbsp; Einstein she is not, but she was able to get a job that would allow her to go to Australia with her dad to participate in a conference for the ISAAC (Int'l Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication).</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="2" height="375" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Jul/schscreen.jpg" width="500" /></span></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then came the angry note from her father:&nbsp;</span></span><br /><blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;">The people who run Schuyler’s summer internship dropped the ball and didn’t follow up with her about her time sheet, so we’re just now learning that she will not in fact get paid for all the work she’s done in time for her to use those funds while she’s here in Australia.</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Schuyler worked hard all summer to earn money for this trip, and now it falls apart because someone didn’t know how to deal with her timecards. She’s still asleep, so we get to have that fun talk when she gets up (plus another heartbreaking one that I’m punting to the end of the week).</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Schuyler is supposed to be learning real world lessons from this program. I guess the one about how much or how little her work is valued by her employers counts as a real world lesson. It’s just not the one I was hoping for.</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">He wasn't asking for money, but again we chipped in and Schuyler has the money she needs to enjoy this experience.</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="2" height="375" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Jul/milkshake.jpg" width="500" /></span></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">When I look over Schuyler's life and the hundreds of faceless, nameless people who have helped, it makes me realize that social media is not all bad.&nbsp; Sometimes it's downright<span>&nbsp;</span><i>good</i>.</span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TyGmavTPhuw/W1tsScNEOcI/AAAAAAAAcFs/0-NKMDgaDVQ0Q2s4ciK40TjKdu30h9iXgCLcBGAs/s1600/schkoala.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="768" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TyGmavTPhuw/W1tsScNEOcI/AAAAAAAAcFs/0-NKMDgaDVQ0Q2s4ciK40TjKdu30h9iXgCLcBGAs/s400/schkoala.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div></div>Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1515401111310182067.post-8876945278141789612018-07-26T16:18:00.000-07:002018-07-26T16:18:38.243-07:00Embarrassment<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">This week I embarrassed myself.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">I haven't embarrassed myself in public this bad since the time I kicked the <a href="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2002/Apr/13.htm">zebra keychain</a>.</span></div><span style="font-size: small;">It was Tuesday, so we had gone to Music Circus, this week for <i>Gypsy</i>, a magnificent production starring three-time Tony nominee Carolee Carmello as Mama Rose.&nbsp; Don't tell Jim Brochu, but I liked her better than Ethel Merman, for whom the show was written.&nbsp; Merman had such a sharp edge to her, which Rose needs, but Carmello's heart shone though more, I thought, and she could belt out those familiar tunes with the best of them.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">I didn't embarrass myself until intermission.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">With this&nbsp; "whatever it is," it is difficult to stand up.&nbsp; I have to <i>push</i> up; I can't pull up.&nbsp; I don't know why, but that's what it is.&nbsp; We've talked about putting a safety bar in the downstairs bathroom but that won't do any good because I would have to pull myself up on it and that's the least efficient way of getting to my feet.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">As I've explained before, it's not that my legs or knees hurt.&nbsp; In fact they feel perfectly normal, but it's like when my brain sends the signal to stand up, it doesn't reach the knees and they do nothing.&nbsp; Usually by rocking back and forth 3 or 4 times, the message finally gets through and I can stand up...again, with no pain, just with struggle.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">This makes it difficult when sitting in the middle of a row in a theater when half the row wants to go out for a potty or snack break.&nbsp; I hate making people climb over me because I hate it when I have to climb over people.&nbsp; Last week, Jeff didn't use his second ticket so there was an empty seat next to e and I could kind of turn my body and make a <i>slightly</i> larger space to squeeze through.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">I was feeling good about things this time, though.&nbsp; I noticed I was walking around the house without a cane more that day and though I still needed help getting into the car, I felt certain I could stand up to let folks pass.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">Oh, what a mistake.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Not only could I not stand up, I also couldn't swivel around to let them climb past me that way.&nbsp; There were six people standing there waiting to get out and I couldn't get up.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">I tried and tried and tried and nothing worked.&nbsp; Walt helped by trying to lift me, Jeff tried to lift me and even people standing in line tried to lift me.</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp; </span> <br /><span style="font-size: small;">What made it worse was that I had worn a lovely pair of black velveteen slacks, which are now a little too big for me, so that the waist band is loose.&nbsp; The velveteen material acts like Velcro against the cloth theater seat so if I can move my body, the slacks stay where they were, so with all the pushing and trying to stand up, the pants kept slipping down and Walt was trying not only to help me up, but to keep my pants from falling!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">They eventually got me standing up and I apologized profusely to the people I had inconvenienced and then while they were all having a good time peeing and eating outside, I walked back and forth the length of the row, with no problem at all.&nbsp; No pain, no weakness, no nothing.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">Back for Act 2 and I spent the act worrying about what would happen at the end of the show.&nbsp; </span> <br /><span style="font-size: small;">Sacramento generally drives me nuts because it seems that EVERY show gets a standing ovation at the end, whether it deserves it or not (England is so much more dignified!).&nbsp; Whether you liked it or hated it, you have to participate because you can't see what is going on on stage unless you join the standees.&nbsp; But this works to my advantage because the second the people stand up, I start struggling to my feet and generally by the time the last actors have left the stage, I am standing up.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">But for some reason, the way the bows were staged for this show, nobody stood up until Rose took her bow, and then everyone leaped to their feet.&nbsp; Not only was it not enough time for me to get to my feet, again my legs did. not. work. at. all.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">We went through it all again.&nbsp; Jeff tried pulling me up, I tried pushing up, Walt tried pushing me up while holding my pants from falling off and everyone around me tried to help.&nbsp; Some little woman in the row behind leaned over and pushed and kept saying "Come on!&nbsp; I know you can do it!"</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">I eventually did get up.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">The frustrating thing about this is that when I left the theater, I sat on a bench outside waiting for Walt and Jeff to come out and when they did, I stood up just like a normal person.&nbsp; I hardly even needed to push up at all.&nbsp; So what the heck happened in the theater seats?</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">It may have been sitting in one spot for more than an hour with my knees bent, but I had a clue of the problem yesterday when I tried to get up from my desk chair.&nbsp; I have a chair on wheels and I roll it back against my work table so that it can't move and I push myself up.&nbsp; Sometimes it takes rocking back and forth 3 or 4 times before the knees engage but generally I have no problem.&nbsp; But yesterday it was like being at the theater.&nbsp; I tried everything and the knees resolutely refused to move.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">I did finally, with a few tears and bad words, manage to stand upright.&nbsp; For awhile I thought I'd have to sit there until Walt got home from the store. As soon as I'm upright, I'm absolutely fine.&nbsp; Shortly after I got up, I needed to look something up on the internet, so I went back in the office and cringed when I had to sit down again, but I noticed before I sat down was that the chair was at its lowest setting, so it was like sitting in a hole and maybe I was trying to push up from too low a position.&nbsp; It made me wonder if that is the case with the Music Circus seats too.&nbsp; When I raised the chair to its highest position I was able to push up with no problem whatsoever.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">I'm now thinking of trying to find a cushion to bring with me next week and see if that will help me stand up.&nbsp; I will definitely NOT be wearing the velveteen pants!</span></div>Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1515401111310182067.post-88771633810692560652018-07-25T16:15:00.000-07:002018-07-26T16:16:18.267-07:00Living TV History<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-size: small;">Sometime next month, PBS is going to air a special on Betty White, who is celebrating her <b><i>eightieth </i></b>year in entertainment.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Betty White has been an amazement to me.&nbsp; She spans the entire history of television.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">Do you know that she was on the <i>very first</i> television test ever sent out?&nbsp; I don't remember where I heard that, but years ago.&nbsp; She was working in radio in a place where they were also working with television and needed to film an experiment to send across the street and so Betty White was the person they filmed.&nbsp; This was in 1939.&nbsp; Betty White has been in television for <i>longer than I have been alive</i>.&nbsp; And she keeps going.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">It will exhaust you just reading through her <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_White">Wikipedia page</a>.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">In the 1950s, she hosted a daily <b><i>five and a half hour</i></b> <i>Today Show</i> type show that ran six days a week.&nbsp; Can you imagine any of the current talk show hosts today who could handle five and a half hours six days a week?&nbsp; She did it for four years.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> <img align="right" border="2" height="247" hspace="10" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Jul/lifeeliz.jpg" vspace="10" width="330" />In addition to that, in 1952, she began filming her own show, <i> <a href="https://youtu.be/eJVspUi3MCo">Life with Elizabeth</a></i>.&nbsp; She was the first woman to have full creative control in front of and behind the camera.&nbsp; <i>Life with Elizabeth</i> ran for three years...and I remember watching it.&nbsp; It kind of set the tone for pretty much every family sitcom ever since.&nbsp; <i>I Love Lucy</i> without Lucille Ball's zaniness.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">She also did guest spots and commercials in the 1950s, just to make sure she didn't get bored!</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">In the 1960s she discovered game shows and appeared on most of them, most often on <i>Password</i>.&nbsp; She enjoyed the show so much, she married the host, Allen Ludden, to whom she stayed married for 20 years, until his death from stomach cancer</span><br /><br /> <img align="left" border="2" height="230" hspace="10" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Jul/suann.JPG" vspace="10" width="300" /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">In the 1970s. after a couple of guest appearances on <i>The Mary Tyler Moore</i> show, she was cast as a regular, the sex-starved Sue Ann Nivens with the public persona of a sugar sweet Martha Stewart type.&nbsp; In casting the role, the creators&nbsp; wanted a "Betty White type" an were pleased to get Betty White herself.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">During this time she had done a 19 year run as the hostess and commentator for the Tournament of Roses parade, but NBC dropped her, and CBS picked her up for a 10 year run as hostess and commentator for the Thanksgiving Day Parade.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;"><i>The Golden Girls </i>started in 1985 and was a huge hit for the four women playing the friends sharing a house (though apparently things were not all that friendly between White and Bea Arthur).&nbsp; The show ran for seven years.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">In the 1990s, she did mostly guest appearances, racking up awards along the way and then in 2006 she made 22 appearances on the soap opera <i>The Bold and the Beautiful </i>and had a recurring role in <i>Boston Legal</i>&nbsp; from 2005 to 2008</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">In 2007 she began doing commercials for Pet Meds and one might have thought she was going to relax on her laurels and enjoy her old age, but no.&nbsp; She decided to host <i>Saturday Night Live, </i>at age 88, the oldest person to host the show.</span><br /><br /> <img align="left" border="0" height="302" hspace="10" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Jul/elka.jpg" vspace="10" width="300" /><span style="font-size: small;">In 2010 she took on the role of Elka Ostrovsky on TV Land's <i>Hot in Cleveland, </i>the landlady in the house, a role that was supposed to be only a one-time thing, but ended up being a regular role.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">In 2011 a Betty White calendar was published, and White started her own line of clothing to raise money for animal causes.&nbsp; She may be best known in these days for work for and devotion to animals and animal causes.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">From 2012 to 2014, White hosted and executive produced <i>Betty White's Off Their Rockers</i>, in which senior citizens play practical jokes on the younger generation.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">In 2012, she received her first Grammy, for a recording of her best seller "If You Ask Me."</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">This list of her awards is long including a daytime Emmy, the Grammy, 5 Primetime Emmys and SAG awards.&nbsp; And if you click on the list you get this:</span><br /><br /> <ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.3px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; list-style-image: none; list-style-type: none; margin: 0.3em 0px; orphans: 2; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"> <ul style="list-style-image: none; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 2em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-2" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Betty_White#American_Comedy_Awards" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;"> <span style="font-size: small;"> <span class="toctext" style="display: table-cell; text-decoration: inherit;"> American Comedy Awards</span></span></a></li><span style="font-size: small;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Betty_White#Britannia_Awards" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;"> <span class="toctext" style="display: table-cell; text-decoration: inherit;"> Britannia Awards</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Betty_White#The_Comedy_Awards" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;"> <span class="toctext" style="display: table-cell; text-decoration: inherit;"> The Comedy Awards</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Betty_White#Disney_Legends" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;"> <span class="toctext" style="display: table-cell; text-decoration: inherit;"> Disney Legends</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-6" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Betty_White#Emmy_Awards" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;"> <span class="toctext" style="display: table-cell; text-decoration: inherit;"> Emmy Awards</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-7" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Betty_White#Gracie_Allen_Awards" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;"> <span class="toctext" style="display: table-cell; text-decoration: inherit;"> Gracie Allen Awards</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-8" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Betty_White#Grammy_Awards" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;"> <span class="toctext" style="display: table-cell; text-decoration: inherit;"> Grammy Awards</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-9" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Betty_White#Golden_Apple_Award" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;"> <span class="toctext" style="display: table-cell; text-decoration: inherit;"> Golden Apple Award</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-10" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Betty_White#Golden_Globes" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;"> <span class="toctext" style="display: table-cell; text-decoration: inherit;"> Golden Globes</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-11" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Betty_White#Hollywood_Walk_of_Fame" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;"> <span class="toctext" style="display: table-cell; text-decoration: inherit;"> Hollywood Walk of Fame</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-12" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Betty_White#MTV_Movie_Awards" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;"> <span class="toctext" style="display: table-cell; text-decoration: inherit;"> MTV Movie Awards</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-13" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Betty_White#NewNowNext_Awards" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;"> <span class="toctext" style="display: table-cell; text-decoration: inherit;"> NewNowNext Awards</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-14" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Betty_White#People's_Choice_Awards" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;"> <span class="toctext" style="display: table-cell; text-decoration: inherit;"> People's Choice Awards</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-15" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Betty_White#Screen_Actors_Guild" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;"> <span class="toctext" style="display: table-cell; text-decoration: inherit;"> Screen Actors Guild</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-16" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Betty_White#Slammy_Award" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;"> <span class="toctext" style="display: table-cell; text-decoration: inherit;"> Slammy Award</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-17" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Betty_White#Teen_Choice_Award" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;"> <span class="toctext" style="display: table-cell; text-decoration: inherit;"> Teen Choice Award</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-18" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Betty_White#TV_Land_Award" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;"> <span class="toctext" style="display: table-cell; text-decoration: inherit;"> TV Land Award</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-19" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Betty_White#UCLA_Jack_Benny_Award" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;"> <span class="toctext" style="display: table-cell; text-decoration: inherit;"> UCLA Jack Benny Award</span></a></li></span><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-20" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Betty_White#Viewers_for_Quality_Television" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;"> <span class="toctext" style="display: table-cell; text-decoration: inherit;"> <span style="font-size: small;">Viewers for Quality Television</span></span></a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-21" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"> </li></ul><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Betty_White#References" style="background: none; text-decoration: none;"> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">She has written seven books and recorded two audio books.</span></a><br /><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">T<span style="background-position: 0% 0%;">he "references" section of her Wikipedia page contains 88 entries.</span></span><br /><br /> <span style="background-position: 0% 0%;"><span style="font-size: small;">And still she goes on and on and on like the energizer bunny. She is just 3 years younger than my mother and just reading about her life is exhausting.</span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IeVy6qUHqtM/W1pWH0UyaHI/AAAAAAAAcE4/XwpUDijkneIoQH3ry_mvHt4ffDWbADIwQCLcBGAs/s1600/bettykoko.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="382" data-original-width="560" height="272" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IeVy6qUHqtM/W1pWH0UyaHI/AAAAAAAAcE4/XwpUDijkneIoQH3ry_mvHt4ffDWbADIwQCLcBGAs/s400/bettykoko.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div>Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1515401111310182067.post-15122975515649721912018-07-24T16:09:00.000-07:002018-07-26T16:09:29.156-07:00Me and Father Joe<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;"> <img align="left" border="2" height="363" hspace="10" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Jul/mjolooney.jpg" vspace="10" width="250" />His name was Martin Joseph O'Looney, a Paulist priest. We met him back in 1953, when my mother decided to become a Catholic.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">I'm not sure how she happened to choose Old St. Mary's church for instructions, as it was not our local parish, but she went to OSM and took instruction from Fr. Joe.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">The church was in Chinatown, across the street from a park, so she would leave Karen and me in the park (boy, you sure wouldn't do that today) and meet with Fr. Joe for an hour in the rectory and then pick us up.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">I don't remember the first time we met him.&nbsp; I was 10, Karen was 6.&nbsp; He took one look at cute little Karen and thought she was greatest thing since sliced bread.&nbsp; Fat me?&nbsp; I was chopped liver.&nbsp; That kind of defined our relationship my whole life.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">He baptised my mother and attended the dinner my godmother threw for her, coming dressed in his priestly collar (he hated wearing it, but realized my godmother was very prim and proper).&nbsp; The only thing I remember about that dinner was Joe and Karen huddled together laughing about putting olives on their fingers. I think my godmother was scandalized.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">My parents became an active part of his social group.&nbsp; They met frequently for parties, often at our house.&nbsp; The group loved to sing and Fr. Joe had a gorgeous voice and I loved to lie in bed and listen to the laughter and music going on in the living room.&nbsp; I think of him whenever I hear "There's a long, long trail a-winding," which can't<i> possibly</i> be sung without harmony.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">We enjoyed getting together with his sister and her family and we occasionally vacationed together, along with Fr. Joe.&nbsp; Karen and I and her kids put on terrible plays that we charged the adults to come and watch.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;">Joe was kind of a renegade and did his own thing, over and above what was going on with the rest of the priests, though he remained a Paulist.&nbsp; He gave great sermons and had a large following, so though the church hierarchy didn't know quite what to do with him, he remained a Paulist.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"> <img align="right" border="2" height="341" hspace="10" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Jul/OLooney.jpg" vspace="10" width="250" />When I was in high school, he joined the Navy and served on the USS Kearsarge, an air craft carrier.&nbsp; Whenever the ship hit San Francisco, he would come by our house to visit.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">I remember when he had been in Japan and brought my mother a beautiful set of Noritaki china.&nbsp; Though I had no emotional attachment to it, it was sad to give it away when we moved my mother to Atria.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">When he left the Navy, he came to the Newman Center at Berkeley, where he spent several years.&nbsp; When he arrived, I was the only person he knew so I became the person responsible for everything he found wrong about the center.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">My "chopped liver" status continued.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">But everyone loved him,&nbsp; He had that Irish personality, a twinkle in his eye and a taste for fun.&nbsp; He also was dedicated to his special causes.&nbsp; He founded "Amigos Anonymous" during his Newman apostolate in Berkeley. For eight years in the 1960's, groups of dedicated college students of all faiths from various colleges spent their summers in Central Mexico working with the poor. Their projects varied widely—starting an elementary school, organizing a renters' association, conducting vaccination programs, coaching kids in basketball, forming discussion groups, etc. The spirit of service continued through the Amigos Anonymous Scholarship Program in a small town in the state of Guanajuato where the Amigos originally worked. The program supports students whose families are too poor to send them to school. It was still in operation at the time of Joe's death.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">He always wanted me to be involved, but I resisted.&nbsp; (It took several years after his death (at 88) in 2006 when I was finally able to get off of their mailing list)</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">When my sister died, he presided at her funeral, but I have no memory of that.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">He and I butted heads over two funerals.&nbsp; For my father's funeral, I wanted there to be a recording of my father playing a couple of his compositions on the piano in the background as exit music, but he stopped everything and said that Beverly wanted everyone to hear these and made everyone sit there and listen to the music before he dismissed us.&nbsp; It was a small thing, but indicative of how he never listened to me.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">When David died, I reluctantly asked him to do the service and he said that since David had died while driving drunk he wanted to give the kids in the audience a lecture on safe driving.&nbsp; I asked him not to do it.&nbsp; He did anyway.&nbsp; Jeri didn't want to play the clarinet for the service, but he made her get up and do it.&nbsp; And then when the service was over, he was angry with me because I expected him to go to the cemetery with us to do the graveside services.&nbsp; He had a party to go to.&nbsp; But my mother got him to go and he reluctantly did.&nbsp; When Paul died, I did NOT want him anywhere near the service (our friend David Gerrold, who had a mail-in minister's license did it beautifully and my friend Olivia spent the whole afternoon blocking Joe from getting near me!)</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">When my mother left my father, after 35 years of marriage, to marry Fred, Father Joe offered to get her an annulment of her marriage to my father based on the conditions of their marriage.&nbsp; She declined and just lived in sin for the next 18 years.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">As he got older, he sort of moved away from a parish and lived with his sister and her family (her husband became my father's best friend). He had dinner with my mother a couple of times a week.&nbsp; He showed up with a bag of food for her to cook for him, and sat there drinking while she did.&nbsp; On more than one occasion, she feared for his safety when he got into a car, but she never said anything.&nbsp; He eventually moved into a rest home near her house.&nbsp; He had lost the ability to communicate when he finally died, which is a shame because communication was his strongest skill.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">He was most noted for the very long letters he would send out at Christmas commenting, from a very liberal perspective, on affairs of Church and state and especially on social justice concerns. In 1993, for example, he wrote: "As once more this itinerant hermit takes pen in hand to assemble this annual Christmas epistle ‘to the scattered troops', there comes the temptation to cop out. Last year's long-winded document was received with general approval. Even my right-wing critical correspondents conceded that it was my best and suggested that ‘I quit when I'm ahead.' I'll resist the temptation. It has been a busy and confusing year. Etc, etc"&nbsp; (I copied that from his obituary)</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">We received copies of his old Christmas sermons for years after he died, and I'm glad they have finally stopped coming.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">He was a very big presence throughout my whole life, yet I have no emotional feelings about him whatsoever.&nbsp; Kind of like my father.</span></div>Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1515401111310182067.post-38953848331363631642018-07-23T16:11:00.000-07:002018-07-26T16:11:29.414-07:00History, Recent and Long Past<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">Be still my heart.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">The sore on my butt is getting better.&nbsp; It still hurts, but it's no longer excruciating.&nbsp; I still can't get into a prone position, but I did some pretty good sleeping last night sitting up and it actually felt good.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">If it's Monday, Ned is here.&nbsp; We have hired him to work 3 days a week, helping do all the things that need doing around here.&nbsp; He's the white tornado and just what we need, whether we want it or not!&nbsp;</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">Today he pulled out a box of scrapbooks for me to go through.&nbsp; Sigh. Scrapbooks.&nbsp; The bane of my existence.&nbsp; We have dozens of them.&nbsp; Maybe hundreds of them.&nbsp; My scrapbooks (from my childhood), our scrapbooks (raising kids), and more recent scrapbooks (fortunately, digital photography has now moved "books" to the internet).</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">But in addition to <i>our</i> books, there are Walt's mother's scrapbooks and my mother's scrapbooks and my&nbsp; father's scrapbooks, plus a few that belonged to my godfather, who was my grandfather's brother!.&nbsp; Photo albums, mostly.&nbsp; And what to do with those.&nbsp; It's easy to get rid of&nbsp; the books that are filled with pictures of people I don't know (nor does my mother any more), but what do I do with the pictures from my mother's 90th birthday party, for example? And how about all the clippings from my grandfather's years in showbiz, my godfather's years as a champion 6-day bicycle racer, and their brother's career in boxing??</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;">And how about this lone photo, stuck in the back of a book of pictures from our wedding, which belonged to my father.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <img border="0" height="462" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Jul/paul70.jpg" width="400" /></div><br /><span style="font-size: small;">This was Paul, taken in 1970, in our Oakland house.&nbsp; The thing on the floor is Ned's beloved blanket....<i>which he <b>still</b> has!!!!&nbsp; (</i>It isn't in such "good" condition any more, tho.)</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">The thing that fell out of a book I picked up was a history of my grandmother's side of the family.&nbsp; Peach had done extensive research on our grandfather's ancestors but I don't know how much she uncovered about our grandmother's.&nbsp; Some of this I knew, some I did not.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">We can trace our history back to the reign of David I (1024-1153) of Scotland.&nbsp; Ivan Kilpatrick witnessed a charter of Robert Bruce. The crest of the Kilpatrick coat of arms is a hand holding a dagger, distilling drops of blood and the motto is "I mak sikar" ("I make sure")</span><br /><br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <img border="0" height="300" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Jul/kirkpatrick.jpg" width="240" /></div><br /><span style="font-size: small;">This was derived from the famous 1306 murder of John ("Red") Comyn by Robert Bruce in the Gray Friars Church, Dunfries, Scotland.&nbsp; As Bruce left the church, he asked his friend and follower, Sir Roger Kilpatrick, if Comyn was really dead; whereupon, Kilpatrick said, "I mak sikar" and went back and stabbed Comyn again and again until he was certainly dead.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">So don't mess with <i>me,</i> you guys&nbsp; I come from fierce stock!</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">When James I took the English throne in the first quarter of the 17th century, he began transporting Scotsmen to the colonies, for failure to pay tithes to the established church.&nbsp; The first record of one of our relatives is in 1756 in Rowan County North Carolina.&nbsp; He was married in 1772 and they had 11 children.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">Andrew was a soldier in the Revolution.&nbsp; He was an ensign in the first Regiment of Rowan Militia under Col. Griffith Rutherford.&nbsp; There is a family story handed down that he was wounded in the shoulder in a Revolutionary battle.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">At the time Peach wrote this (1996) she had tons of information to go through and planned to speak with Elroy Kirkpatrick (age unknown), but he had had 3 heart attacks and 3 strokes and I don't now if he lived long enough to speak with her.</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KoeoqpRHZA8/W1pU_awL-eI/AAAAAAAAcEs/-Nby6po4ZwQmdl_RLhUTFgklpzvlFtx-ACLcBGAs/s1600/closeburn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KoeoqpRHZA8/W1pU_awL-eI/AAAAAAAAcEs/-Nby6po4ZwQmdl_RLhUTFgklpzvlFtx-ACLcBGAs/s400/closeburn.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div>Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1515401111310182067.post-41824352230539772172018-07-22T16:13:00.000-07:002018-07-26T16:13:46.492-07:00Sunday Stealing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS;"></span> <br /><table border="0" style="width: 100%px;"> <tbody><tr> <td width="310"> <img border="0" height="183" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Jul/food.jpg" width="275" /></td> <td> <span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Here are some food questions from <a href="http://www.swap-bot.com/">Swap Bot</a></span></td> </tr></tbody></table><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <br /> <span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>1.&nbsp; <u>Do you like pie</u>?<br /> </i></b>Love it!&nbsp; .My favorites would be pumpkin, peach, or any kind of berry.</span></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">&nbsp;</span></span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> <b><i>2.&nbsp; <u>Italian or Mexican</u>?<br /> </i></b>I grew up in San Francisco, on the outskirts of North Beach and my father's favorite food was Italian (though he was Irish).&nbsp; We ate a LOT of Italian.<b><i> </i></b>Italian was never my favorite.&nbsp; I much prefer Mexican or Chinese.</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> <b><i>3.&nbsp; <u>Can you bake? If so, what are your favorite things to bake</u>?<br /> </i></b>Yes, I can bake.&nbsp; I worked as a cake decorator for a few years, but my favorite things to bake now, I guess, are cookies (which I rarely bake because I'd eat them all).</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> <b><i>4.&nbsp; <u>Do you use cook books or do you try to find recipes online</u>?<br /> </i></b>I have lots and lots of cook books, but 90% of the time look for recipes on line.</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> <b><i>5.&nbsp; <u>Do you own a kitchen aid mixer</u>?<br /> </i></b>Yes.&nbsp; I've had the same mixer for nearly 50 years and have had ZERO problems with it.&nbsp; I love it.</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> <b><i>6.&nbsp; <u>Ever cooked a meal for more than 15 people at one time</u>?<br /> </i></b>Yes.&nbsp; My biggest may have been 24 for Christmas (which was clever, seating them all in this tiny house!)</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> <b><i>7.&nbsp; <u>Do you like hospital food</u>?<br /> </i></b>Fortunately, I have little experience, but suspect it would be akin to airplane food in the days when they still gave you airplane food.</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> <b><i>8.&nbsp; <u>Favorite fast food restaurant</u>?<br /> </i></b>For burger joints, 5 Guys.</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> <b><i>9.&nbsp; <u>Any picky eaters in your family</u>?<br /> </i></b>I don't know any more.&nbsp; Walt and Marta won't eat onions and Brianna and Lacie have very particular tastes, but I never have to cook for the two of them, so I don't have to worry about it.</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> <b><i>10.&nbsp; <u>Soda or Tea</u>?<br /> </i></b>Neither, actually.&nbsp; I prefer coffee or water.</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> <b><i>11.&nbsp; <u>Hot chocolate</u>?<br /> </i></b>Oh my yes, the richer the better, loaded with whipped cream.&nbsp; I never GET it, but if I decided to have some, that's what I would want.</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> <b><i>12.&nbsp; <u>Favorite holiday dish</u>?<br /> </i></b>Turkey stuffing and pumpkin pie (not together)</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> <b><i>13.&nbsp; <u>What is the most tasteful strangest looking thing you have ever tasted</u>?<br /> </i></b>I'm not generally one for tasting strange looking things.&nbsp; I did have escargot once, and it was surprisingly good (and not very strange looking), but I haven't had it since.</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> <b><i>14.&nbsp; <u>Fries or tater tots</u>?<br /> </i></b>Hmmm....good question.&nbsp; My favorite fries are shoestring potatoes, but you can rarely find them, so I guess I'll say Tater Tots.</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> <b><i>15.&nbsp; <u>Do you like cheese? If so what kind</u>?<br /> </i></b>Yes, but I'm not adventurous.&nbsp; I love Swiss cheese, brie, mozarella, Bourson...mostly the milder cheeses.&nbsp; And cream cheese, of course.</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> <b><i>16.&nbsp; <u>Home made or can soup</u>?<br /> </i></b>I'm not a big soup person, but if it's a good home made soup, I'll love it.&nbsp; I used to make a lamb soup that was to die for.&nbsp; The soups we had on our cruises were fabulous (not canned).&nbsp; Occasionally, I'll have a chicken noodle or cream of tomato, but only when I'm reminiscing! I keep thinking I should make soup more often because there are lots of good recipes out there.</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> <b><i>17.&nbsp; <u>Do you like to eat out</u>?<br /> </i></b>Is the pope catholic?&nbsp; I would eat out every night if it weren't so expensive.&nbsp; There are a ton of restaurants in this town that we have never even tried.</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> <b><i>18.&nbsp; <u>What kind of food is popular where you are? (Like in Alaska it is seafood)<br /> </u></i></b>I don't know that there is a certain genre that is popular here, but there sure are a lot of Thai restaurants in town.</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> <b><i>19.&nbsp; <u>Do you like cotton candy</u>?<br /> </i></b>I used to love it, but it had to be "fresh" from the pot where it is made.&nbsp; When they started wrapping it up it took all the "magic" out of it for me.&nbsp; I haven't had any in decades.</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> <b><i>20.&nbsp; <u>Turkey or Chicken</u>?<br /> </i></b>Depends.&nbsp; I love a turkey at the holidays, but rarely other times, but I cook a <i>lot</i> of chicken.</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> <b><i>21.&nbsp; <u>Hamburger or tuna helper</u>?<br /> </i></b>Definitely hamburger.</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> <b><i>22.&nbsp; <u>Raw or cooked veggies</u>?<br /> </i></b>Cooked.&nbsp; I'm one of those cretins who prefer vegetables to be soft, not crunchy</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> <b><i>23.&nbsp; <u>Do you like salad? If so, what is your favorite kind of salad</u>?<br /> </i></b>I like a good salad bar and usually add tomatoes, onions, cheese, kidney beans, and bacon to my lettuce.&nbsp; But I also like Cesar salad, broccoli salad with cranberries, and love fruit salads.</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> <b><i>24.&nbsp; <u>Favorite pizza topping</u>?<br /> </i></b>Sausage and mushroom with a pesto sauce</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> <b><i>25.&nbsp; <u>Do you like meat loaf</u>?<br /> </i></b>It depends on the meat loaf.&nbsp; My mother made the best meat loaf ever, yet had no recipe for it.&nbsp; In all my cooking years, I have never been able to duplicate it.&nbsp; I don't <i>dis</i>like meatloaf, but I am continually looking for one like my mother's.</span></span></span></div></div>Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1515401111310182067.post-36619819971110566752018-07-21T16:03:00.000-07:002018-07-26T16:04:17.426-07:00Bang, Bang, Bang<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hMCSND9nsK8/W1pSwINiSEI/AAAAAAAAcEU/OStLYC_MsI4xMSzgrVB4VSZq_SAdg3KRACLcBGAs/s1600/glasses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hMCSND9nsK8/W1pSwINiSEI/AAAAAAAAcEU/OStLYC_MsI4xMSzgrVB4VSZq_SAdg3KRACLcBGAs/s320/glasses.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;">I noticed that my mother was wearing glasses when they wheeled her out to the car for her annual medical exam.</span> <br /><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">Of course they weren't <u><i>her</i></u> glasses, and I don't know whether they do anything, pro or con, for her vision, but she was happy to have "her" glasses on.&nbsp; I also notice that her eyes, which have been red lately as she rubs them, seem to be fine now, so who am I to complain?&nbsp; At least she was wearing her own clothes this time.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">She didn't know where she was going....or why....despite several explanations, but what else is new?</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">Going into the exam room was silly, since Anne, Dr. Akanda's nurse was helping my mother while I was struggling to get out of the chair I was sitting in (Walt finally helped me).&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">We had our pre-exam meeting with Anne who then gave my mother a gown to put on, which she couldn't understand at all.&nbsp; As Anne was leaving the room, she was struggling to get the gown over her shirt.&nbsp; I stopped her and told her she had to take her shirt off first, but that was too complicated for her to process and she continued to put it on over her shirt.&nbsp; I started to get to my feet to help her, but my knees wouldn't work.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">Talk about the blind leading the blind!</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">We <i>did</i> finally get the shirt off and the gown on (though with how little "hands-on" the exam was, it really was unnecessary).&nbsp; And now the annual exam for her 99th year has taken place.&nbsp; Next time she has an annual exam it will be just before her 100th birthday.&nbsp; The sad thing about that was how excited she was for several years at the prospect of making it to 100 and now it doesn't even rate a blip on her awareness meter.&nbsp; If you tell her she's about to be 100, she just says she refuses to be that old.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">She'll be 99 in just under 2 months.&nbsp; Hard to believe.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">You can tell how much her ability to read has been compromised by her Alzheimers.&nbsp; There was a brochure across from where she was sitting.&nbsp; It said "Everyone deserves a safe relationship."&nbsp; She struggled to read "everyone deserves a safe..." but "relationship" was too long a word for her to read.&nbsp; Sigh...this is the woman who was an avid reader all of her life and was proud of reading two newspapers, back to back, every morning.&nbsp; :(</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">So we have now done annual exam for her and for me, physical therapy for me, neurology and dental exam for me, and upcoming dental exam for Walt and eye exam for me.&nbsp; We may be good to go for the next year!</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">I'd like to say that it was an otherwise quiet afternoon, but it was anything but.&nbsp; There was a point where I was sure that there was going to be a hammer smashing&nbsp; through the wall of my office.&nbsp; And Walt had to remove things from the walls for fear of them being knocked off.&nbsp; We are having the siding replaced on the house and, ultimately, the house repainted.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">There was so much pounding and other noises that even Polly decided it was useless to bark and just fell asleep.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">But there was much productivity going on and they got a good start on the house.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="center"><img border="2" height="375" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Jul/wall1.jpg" width="500" /></div><div align="center"><img border="2" height="375" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Jul/wall2.jpg" width="500" /></div><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">When they are finished it will be like having a whole new house, but there is much more pounding to go before the job is completed.</span><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MhiJvUI6b3A/W1pTJ1ebPrI/AAAAAAAAcEc/Y0VnHhmS6WQRjAjzsPIk91hW-OiJfa6TwCLcBGAs/s1600/napping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MhiJvUI6b3A/W1pTJ1ebPrI/AAAAAAAAcEc/Y0VnHhmS6WQRjAjzsPIk91hW-OiJfa6TwCLcBGAs/s320/napping.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Their afternoon nap</td></tr></tbody></table></div>Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1515401111310182067.post-3017669515587958852018-07-20T15:58:00.000-07:002018-07-26T15:58:59.717-07:00Yes, but I CAN'T get up<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">"OK, you can sit up now," said the physical therapist.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">"Yes, but I <i>can't</i> get up," I wailed, letting him know he would have to help me get to a sitting position.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">This "whatever it is" is so frustrating because things <i>look</i> so easy and I feel like there should be no problem doing them, until I try and then discover how much my body rebels.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">After I explained my symptoms to the PT, he said he would give me some exercises to do all of which could be done on a bed.&nbsp; To demonstrate, he lay down on the table and then showed how all I had to do was raise each leg up 90 degrees five times and then the other leg five times.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">Now it was my turn.&nbsp; Well, first of all, I could not get into a prone position without help, but once lying down I tried to lift my left leg and it would only go up about 6" and then I tried the right leg and I couldn't get that an inch off the table.&nbsp; So he decided he would steady my leg and have me move it out to the side and back.&nbsp; Moving it to the side was surprisingly easy, but putting it back on the table was impossible.&nbsp; It was like trying to lift my leg into the car each day.</span></div><div align="center"> <img border="0" height="284" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Jul/exercises.jpg" width="500" /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">The arm exercises were easier and Ned has some small weights he will loan me as the strength starts to build up again (I hope).&nbsp; The "core" exercise, which involves standing and tightening my buttocks is very easy--<i>something I <u>can</u></i> <i>do!</i></span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">I came home with a bunch of exercises and not sure how much they will help, but I will do them.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">It's frustrating that things which should be <i>easy</i> are impossible.&nbsp; The PT was saying to do one thing and then roll over and do the other...but I have not been able to "roll over' for months. I never thought much about it because it was not a skill I needed until I had the first fall a couple of months ago and asked them to roll me over and discovered it was impossible.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">When I was still able to sleep on the couch, it became impossible for me to get to my side, which was my preferred position for sleep and two or three times was so immobilized that I could not get off the couch.&nbsp; I wish I had recognized these symptoms then and not just chalked it up to weight.&nbsp; After the first time, I moved a heavy table near the couch so that I could grab it and pull myself upright, with difficulty, but successfully.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">I was able to sleep fairly well last night.&nbsp; I figured out how to sleep <i>on my side</i> in the recliner.&nbsp; It ain't easy, but the pain in my butt disappeared and I was able to sleep for several hours.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">Ned has a plethora of things he want to do to make life easier for me,&nbsp; but I have not given up the hope of getting better and don't want to go whole hog revising the house if I"m going to get back to normal again.&nbsp; Give me a few months for 'acceptance' of what a new normal is going to be, if it is indeed going to be a new normal, before we totally remodel the house..</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">Speaking of which, this is going to be a noisy couple of days.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">We are having new siding put on the house, and the house repainted and the hammering started about an hour ago.&nbsp; It's driving Polly crazy and the combination of the hammering in my ear and Polly's barking is going to be very....uh....interesting.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">Today we are back to the doctor again, this time for my mother's annual exam.&nbsp; Once again, I am putting the burden of getting her ready for&nbsp; the appointment on Atria and will pick her up, readily dressed and ready to go, at the back door, so I don't have to walk all the way back there.&nbsp; I <i>could</i> walk all the way back there, but if you have a "condition" might as well take advantage of it when you have the opportunity, especially when you are paying Atria big bucks for her care!</span></div></div>Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1515401111310182067.post-72928332866451817092018-07-19T15:55:00.000-07:002018-07-26T15:57:15.584-07:00I guess she can die now<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">Many years (and a few lifetimes) ago when we were all in good physical and mental health, my cousin Peach's husband used to joke with my mother (whom he adored) that she couldn't die until he did because he didn't want to live in a world without her.&nbsp; At that time we all laughed.&nbsp; Today the laughter stopped, as I received the news that Bob had died.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">I don't know how old Bob was, but Peach would have been almost 80 and I believe they were the same age. I also don't now how he died, but he had been suffering early Alzheimers when I was in Iowa helping Peach get through chemotherapy and, inevitably, after she died, it continued to worsen.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">As a matter of fact, it was Bob's Alzheimers that ultimately killed Peach.&nbsp; Her first week of chemo was so hard on her physically that she thought long and hard about whether she wanted to continue&nbsp; She was in remission and though the doctor told her that without the chemo it would probably return, she realized that if she was going to be so sick throughout, she could not properly take care of Bob, so she decided to chance it hoping to get a few more years before the cancer returned.&nbsp; Sadly it returned a year later, attacked her brain, and killed her.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">She and Bob had been so close all their lives that I wondered if he would survive her death, but I suspect that his Alzheimers softened the blow of losing his beloved wife.&nbsp; He had a stroke a few years before and it had been her love and determination that kept him alive, despite doctor prediction.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">Bob was, without a doubt, the sweetest man in the world.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="center"> <img border="2" height="375" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Jul/bobtassie.jpg" width="500" /></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">Here he is with his dog Tessie (they got matching puppies, Sophie and Tess).&nbsp; How that dog loved him!</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">He was the kind of guy who would do anything to help anyone, give you the shirt off his back if he thought you needed it.&nbsp; He was the guy who organized our family reunions for many years and did most of the work setting things up and taking things down (a job later taken ver by some of the 2nd generation cousins).</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">In truth, he sometimes drove me crazy.&nbsp; They had a house with a step down from the front door to the living room.&nbsp; I stepped down hundreds of times but <u><i>every time</i></u> that I came into the house, he reminded me to step down.&nbsp; My challenge, to myself, was to get into the living room before Bob had a chance to remind me to step down.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">I was there at the beginning, watching the romance develop when I spent summers with Peach&nbsp; I remember when we would spend the afternoon together and as soon as she got home, Peach would head for the telephone to call Bob.&nbsp; I can still hear her mother say "Peachie, you leave that boy alone!"</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">I remember when he bought her a hope chest and how excited she was.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">I was maid of honor in their wedding and then godmother to their son Mike.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="center"> <img border="2" height="356" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Jul/50thanni.jpg" width="500" /></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">This was from their 50th anniversary party.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">I don't know that I've ever seen two people more in love and though I am sad at Bob's death, a part of me hopes that they have found each other in the after life.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;">I will tell my mother tomorrow of Bob's death, but I suspect she won't remember who he is and she certainly won't remember their pact.</span></div>Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1515401111310182067.post-28417816133417291842018-07-18T15:48:00.000-07:002018-07-26T15:48:27.218-07:00The Hobbit Hole<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">When we moved into this house (which we had built) some 45 years ago, it had a small closet that went under the stairs.&nbsp; It was only half height, but deep since it went under the stairs.&nbsp; We decided it looked like Hobbit hole and so I had a sign made and hung it over the door.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><img border="0" height="109" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Jul/hhsign.jpg" width="400" /></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">At one time, we tried to cover the walls with egg cartons and let Ned use it for practicing drums.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">That didn't last very long!</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">Over the years it has become a catch-all storage place, with lots of stuff packed into lots of boxes.&nbsp; I don't think anybody has really examined it in more than 20 years.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">The Hobbit Hole was Ned's project today.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="center"> <img border="2" height="390" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Jul/hobbithole.jpg" width="500" /></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">Everything came out and what treasures were unearthed! -- like the Star Trek quilt I made for Paul one year, using pictures he had drawn.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="center"> <img border="2" height="400" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Jul/startrekquilt.jpg" width="325" /></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">I had taken a quilting class that year and made quilts for each of the kids for Christmas.&nbsp; I don't remember what Tom's, David's and Jeri's were, but Ned's was a giant Superman quilt, the best quilt I ever made.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">We found a coloring book that apparently Jeri got when we were on vacation.&nbsp; The quality of the coloring itself tells me she wasn't very old when we got it...either that or one of her brothers did the actual coloring.&nbsp; She would have gotten it when we were on a trip to Colorado, which&nbsp; was when David was 5 months old.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="center"> <img border="2" height="400" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Jul/jeribook.jpg" width="300" /></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">From the era of "stuffies" around here was this one, whom I don't really remember, but Jeri thought enough of to save.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="center"><img border="2" height="394" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Jul/stuffy.jpg" width="500" /></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">There were several years worth of the Smithsonian magazine from the 1970s, which came from Walt's mother.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">There was detritus from a trip we took to China (which will make a nice edition to the new "random journal" I am putting together)</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">And then lots of other stuff--puppy related towels and blankets, puppy toys (including the "mother bear" that raised several litters of puppies for me).&nbsp; There was a Star Trek puppet I'd made (we decided it was McCoy, since he's dressed in blue and does not have pointed ears)</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">There was a whole box of 78 records, most of which were kids stories, including this dust-covered <i>Bambi</i>.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="center"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Jul/bambi.jpg" width="307" /></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">Ned worked like a dog all morning cleaning it out and separating it into "throw away," "save," and "donate" piles.&nbsp; I wonder if the SPCA thrift shop wants a box of 78 records....</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">It's a project I've been thinking about doing for years, and he managed to get it done in only half a day!</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sHwOKinc5b4/W1pPnId5TUI/AAAAAAAAcEI/iz_BxfzqEEQXY69iQYBWF5ZFT4-bVBuawCLcBGAs/s1600/stuffies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sHwOKinc5b4/W1pPnId5TUI/AAAAAAAAcEI/iz_BxfzqEEQXY69iQYBWF5ZFT4-bVBuawCLcBGAs/s400/stuffies.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div align="left"><br /></div></div>Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1515401111310182067.post-28664044304321066552018-07-17T15:43:00.000-07:002018-07-26T15:44:40.705-07:00The Mug Wiper<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">Every night when I sit down to dinner, I think of my father.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">I don't know when it started with him--long after I left home, I'm sure.&nbsp; But he decided that instead of using a napkin, he preferred a moist dishrag, which he called a mug wiper.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">He was retired by then, had been for a long time, and my mother was working a full time job.&nbsp; She would come home from work, cook his dinner, set the table and serve him and once in awhile forget the mug wiper.&nbsp; He always got angry.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">Ironically, the mug wiper was the straw that broke the now-fragile back of my parents' marriage.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">Over 25 years or so, my mother had worked her way up from a part time typist for the trust department of the Bank of America to a full time trust officer, a very big deal.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">She came home one night and my father and his friend were sitting outside, drinking and my father was saying something like "She has them all fooled.&nbsp; They think she's so smart.&nbsp; She's such a big deal, but she's so stupid she can't even remember a simple thing like a mug wiper."</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">Whatever fragile connection remained between them after my sister's death was killed in that moment, when she realized what he thought of her.&nbsp; The divorce proceedings started not long after that.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">So whenever I sit down at the dinner table and grab a dish towel that I probably left there accidentally, and use it as a napkin, I think of my father and his damn mug wiper.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="center">* * * * *</div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">I slept last night.&nbsp; I've had a difficult time ever since we got home from Santa Barbara, and while the new recliner is wonderful, it didn't help.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">The problem is the ow-ie that I got on my backside during the weekend.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">It's positioned just wrong.&nbsp; No matter how I sit it hurts.&nbsp; A lot. (Stock market tip:&nbsp; buy Neosporin stock; I'm supporting the company right now!) If I sit in the recliner (whether my old recliner, the one in Santa Barbara, or the new one), I can position myself so that it's bearable.&nbsp; But if my body moves at all, you know like breathing or blinking or anything whatsoever that moves it off that sweet spot I finally found, it's like raking an open blister across sand paper.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">I&nbsp; thought the new recliner would help because the seat is not as deep as the old recliner so I can settle myself in the seat before reclining the chair, but the act of reclining moves the body and it hurts like hell.&nbsp; I then try to reposition myself, but the only thing that helps is standing the chair up again.&nbsp; Then there I am, half standing, half sitting...comfortable, but trying to slowly inch myself into some place where I can bear the discomfort.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">It's getting better.&nbsp; The Neosporin is working its magic but it's frustratingly slow.&nbsp; The last couple of nights, I found myself at 3 a.m. in tears, so sleepy and so unable to get to sleep.&nbsp; When Ned bounds in the house at 9 a.m., happy, energetic and eager to get to work on helping with the house it's all I can do to be civil because I'm so sleep deprived.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"> <img align="left" border="2" height="434" hspace="10" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Jul/sleep.jpg" vspace="10" width="300" /><span style="font-size: small;">But I found a solution last night.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">I got the chair half-standing me up, so my backside didn't hurt, but not so far that I was in danger of sliding out, and then I got a TV table and my neck pillow, stuck my head down on the pillow and I was actually able to get a few hours of sleep in.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">It wasn't perfect, but I slept.&nbsp; That's a plus.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">Each day the backside gets better, though I will be very happy when it's all healed and I can really start bonding with the new chair!</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">Each night when I am struggling to get comfortable, I long desperately to <i>lie down</i>.&nbsp; But I know that if I go to the couch to lie down, I won't be able to get up again.&nbsp; Part of this "whatever it is" that means I can't lift my body up from a prone position.&nbsp; I keep thinking that one of these days I'll put Walt on notice after he wakes up and go lie down on the couch and tell him to come back in an hour and see if I'm ready to get up.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">When, oh when is this "whatever it is" going to give me back my life?</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: small;">* * * *</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">My resolve not to get political here prevents me from discussing #45 and Putin.&nbsp; But it ain't easy!</span></div></div>Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1515401111310182067.post-27704376229097297332018-07-16T15:38:00.000-07:002018-07-26T15:41:59.608-07:00For Love of a Chair<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">I love my recliner.&nbsp; Many, many years ago, my mother got a bee in her bonnet that I needed a new recliner and she wanted to buy one for me for my birthday.&nbsp; I was perfectly happy with the recliner I'd been sitting in, but she was adamant.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">We went to Lazy Boy in San Rafael (where she then lived) and the sales clerk led me to a chair and asked me to try it out.&nbsp; I didn't want to get out.&nbsp; It was like sinking into a cloud.&nbsp; It didn't rock, like my old one did, but I easily gave up the rocking function for the comfort.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">It wasn't as simple as buying the chair and having it delivered.&nbsp; We learned that each Lazy Boy store is its own franchise and the San Rafael store had no connection to the Sacramento store, but we decided to buy the chair anyway and have it delivered to my mother's and we would figure out how to get it to Davis.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">Which turned out to be a major problem since we didn't have a big vehicle nor did our kids, I don't think, have access to one at that time.&nbsp; But Peach and her husband had a brand new big truck and they volunteered to bring the chair to Davis for me, which turned out to be a more difficult proposition than they imagined since it didn't quite fit in their truck, but somehow they made it fit.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">And so the big comfy chair took up residence in our family room and bonded with my butt and they both lived happily ever after...until recently.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">After this "whatever it is" (my technical name for my weird condition) started to manifest itself, it became increasingly difficult to get out of the chair and takes several tries before my knees decide to reluctantly support my weight.&nbsp; Ned said I needed a lift chair, but I knew how expensive they are.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">When we went to Santa Barbara, my brother-in-law, Joe, graciously gave up his recliner (a lift chair that once belonged to Walt's mother) and it was absolutely wonderful.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="center"><img border="2" height="506" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Jul/chair.jpg" width="500" /></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">Walt decided that we would come home and shop for one for me.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">Enter our friend Pat, who had a lift chair that her husband wasn't using and offered it to me.&nbsp; Ned and his friend Greg (and Greg's son Logan) got a truck and went to Pat &amp; Bud's to get the chair.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">What a difference!</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="center"> <img border="2" height="368" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Jul/chair2up.jpg" width="500" /></div><div align="center">(Walt said we'd have to be sure to keep Polly off the chair.<br /> Somehow I don't think that will be a problem!)</div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">The only problem with it is that it makes standing up so effortless that I forget I can't stand up unaided without it.&nbsp; Last night I made the mistake of sitting in Walt's recliner, which I used to do when taking a break from doing something in the kitchen, and forgot I can't get out of it at all.&nbsp; I had to call Walt to come and get me up.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">There is also the "breaking in" period of learning how to "drive it" to best advantage, but once I got comfortable last night, I slept very well.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;">I realize that the diagnosis of this "whatever it is" is still pretty new, but I'm starting to have fears about what if this is my "new normal" condition and I'll never get the strength back into my body again....</span></div>Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1515401111310182067.post-22358028413051297822018-07-15T15:34:00.000-07:002018-07-26T15:34:41.646-07:00Sunday Stealing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div align="left"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Welcome to Sunday Stealing. This feature originated and published on WTIT: The Blog. Here we will steal all types of questions from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent questions. (Past hosts include: Our first - Judd Corizan, Mr. L, Kwizgiver and Bud)&nbsp; Cheers to all of us thieves!</span></span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><table border="0" style="width: 100%px;"> <tbody><tr> <td width="361"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i7aHuhCrgss/WzbHJtlQNyI/AAAAAAAAbKo/FR7XwzahifQ7-Um8GTn_yUMONz1ihzfCgCLcBGAs/s1600/harvard.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left;"> <img border="2" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="766" height="179" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i7aHuhCrgss/WzbHJtlQNyI/AAAAAAAAbKo/FR7XwzahifQ7-Um8GTn_yUMONz1ihzfCgCLcBGAs/s320/harvard.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td> <td> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> These questions from <a href="https://hbr.org/2018/01/8-questions-to-ask-someone-other-than-what-do-you-do" target="_blank"> Harvard Business Review</a> are questions to ask someone other than "so what do <i>you</i> do?"</span></span></td> </tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />&nbsp;</span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> <i><b>What excites you right now?</b></i></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Right now I am excited about the new "lift chair" that friends of ours loaned us, since they can't use it now.&nbsp; Being able to stand up without a struggle is going to change my world!</span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><b><br /> <br /> What are you looking forward to?</b></i></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hmmm...with the Santa Barbara trip finished and the chair installed, I have nothing in the immediate future that I am looking forward to.</span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><b><br /> <br /> What’s the best thing that happened to you this year?</b></i></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> What with my mother's Alzheimers and my own worsening physical strength, the best thing that happened to me was knowing how wonderful and helpful my children are.&nbsp; From Ned's determination to organize our lives (and doing it) to Jeri's help, especially, with my mother and also her frequent phone calls to check in.&nbsp; </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tom was very helpful when we were in Santa Barbara, but his distance from Davis and his family's insane schedule make this not the best time for him to concentrate on Mom or Dad.&nbsp; But I know he cares and would be here if necessary.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> They all make me proud of what wonderful people our kids have grown up to become</span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><b>.<br /> <br /> Where did you grow up?</b></i></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">A flat in San Francisco, until I was 18 years old</span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><b><br /> <br /> What do you do for fun?</b></i></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I watch TV marathons and attend about 60 stage shows a year</span><i><b><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /> <br /> Who is your favorite superhero?</span></b></i></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I've always had a soft spot in my heart for Superman.&nbsp; All super powers in one super person.&nbsp; I don't watch any of the newer super hero movies, so don't even know who is "in" now</span><span style="font-size: small;">. </span><i><b> <span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> <br /> <br /> Is there a charitable cause you support?</span></b></i></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> I sponsor ~30 kids through<a href="http://compassion.com/"> Compassion, International</a>, I love the <a href="https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/">David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust</a>, which saves and raises orphaned elephants, and have followed and supported <a href="https://koko.org/">KoKo</a>, the talking gorilla, who sadly, died this year</span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i><br /> <br /> What’s the most important thing I should know about you?</i></b></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am not nearly as gregarious and open as people who read my stuff think.&nbsp; I am an introvert and get more introverted the older I get</span><b><i><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /> </span> <span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> <br /> Tell us of something that relaxes you and always makes you happy.</span></i></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Watching TV, reading, and going out to have a meal I don't have to cook.</span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /> </span></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> <i><b><br /> If you could take the train from anywhere to anywhere, where would 'anywhere' be?</b></i></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">When we were on our honeymoon in Canada, I decided I really wanted to take a train trip across the Canadian Rockies.&nbsp; I'd still like to do that.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> <i><b>What will you always pack in your suitcase?</b></i></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Other than the usual clothes, the electric cords to all of my gadgets, my pills, and a good supply of Neosporin.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> <i><b>What will you never pack in&nbsp; your suitcase?</b></i></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> If we are going on a plane, I never pack my laptop computer in my suitcase, though on a driving trip to Santa Barbara, I usually do.</span></span></div>Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1515401111310182067.post-32961943117925981162018-07-14T15:31:00.000-07:002018-07-26T15:32:18.631-07:00Saturday 9<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> </div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><img align="left" border="2" height="238" hspace="10" src="http://www.funnytheworld.com/2018/Jul/lucy.png" vspace="10" width="320" /><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Welcome to <i>Saturday 9</i>. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!&nbsp;</span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Saturday 9: I Love Lucy (1951)</span></b><span style="font-size: small;"><br /> </span><b><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /> </span><span style="font-size: small;">Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fn7PKzf5tk">here</a>.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-size: small;">1) <b>Before today, did you know that the "I Love Lucy" theme had lyrics</b>?</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yes.<br /> </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /> 2) <b>Since its premiere in 1951, <i>I Love Lucy</i> has never been off the air. Are you a fan</b>?</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Not really (sorry, Jimmy!)&nbsp; I enjoy it when it's on, but I don't <span style="font-style: italic;">turn</span> it on.&nbsp; I'm not a big fan of slapstick, or of Lucy's kind of humor.<br /> </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /> 3) <b>On the show, Ricky Riccardo supports his family by performing in a nightclub. Do you know anyone in show business</b>?</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Oh, my lord, Yes.&nbsp; The aforementioned "Jimmy," Jim Brochu, was a friend of Lucy's and played backgammon with her every day the last year of her life.&nbsp; He is an award-winnng TV and theater (actor, writer, musician, etc.) in New York, his partner, my friend Steve, is a musician and an actor (or so he tells me).&nbsp; And, being a theater critic, I know dozens of actors in Sacramento and San Francisco.<br /> </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /> 4) <b>Lucy and Ricky's best friends are Fred and Ethel, their landlord and his wife. Are you friendly with your neighbors</b>?</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">No.&nbsp; We nod to each other on the street.&nbsp; It is one of my sadnesses.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-size: small;">5) <b>One of the most popular episodes has Lucy and Ethel working on the conveyor belt at a chocolate factory. When did you last have chocolate</b>? &nbsp;</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tonight.&nbsp; I had our nightly Haagen Dazs mini chocolate covered bars.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /> </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /> 6) <b>Another famous episode has Lucy promoting Vitametavegimin. This tonic is made with vitamins, meat, vegetables -- and 23% alcohol. Do you read the ingredients statement before you take an over-the-counter medication? Or do you trust that it's safe because it's on the store shelf</b>?</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Given the fact that I am now suffering from side effects of a physician-prescribed statin I've been taking for a year, I will now be&nbsp; bit more careful about reading the fine print....but why do they print it so tiny? <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-size: small;">7) <b><i>I Love Lucy</i> was filmed before a live audience. Desi Arnaz (Ricky) always maintained he could identify the chuckle of his mother-in-law, who attended every taping. Do you know anyone who has a distinctive laugh</b>?</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'm sure I do, but nobody comes to mind right now.&nbsp; Walt has a kind of distinctive laugh.<br /> </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /> 8) <b>The show ended when the Lucille Ball/Desi Arnaz marriage ended. Have you ever had to choose sides when a couple broke up</b>?</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">You pretty much always do.&nbsp; You can't remain friends with both, so unless you write them out of your life, you have to choose sides.<br /> </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /> 9) <b>Random question -- You must eat the same dinner, every day, between now and Labor Day. An identical menu, no deviation. What will you be having</b>?</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sausage, mushroom and basil pizza.</span></span></div></div>Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1515401111310182067.post-3160019956340022272018-07-13T15:29:00.000-07:002018-07-26T15:30:14.372-07:00"Newsies," a Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Who says that one young, insignificant poor kid living in the slums can’t change history?</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> That’s the story, based on true events, which is the subject of the Broadway at Music Circus current production, "Newsies."<br /><br /> At the turn of the 20<sup>th</sup> century, some 10,000 boys sold newspapers on the streets of New York, many of them orphaned and homeless. The boys paid to get the newspapers, and if they did not sell, the publishers would not buy them back. During the Spanish-American war, when the desire for news was at its high, the publishers raised the price to the boys from 50 center per hundred to 60 cents per hundred. But at the end of the war, when the interest dropped, publishers Pulitzer and Hearst did not reduce the price the boys paid, though other publishers did. The boys demanded a return to the price that their peers at other papers were getting.<br /><br /> Under the leadership of a 15 year old named Kid Blink, the "newsies" organized, held massive outdoor meetings and after two weeks, the publishers and the newsies compromised...they would keep the higher price, but would buy back any unsold papers. The stand-off was considered a major step in the child labor movement.<br /><br /> In 1992, the story was made into a Disney movie, and in 2014 an award-winning musical with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Jack Feldman, and book by Harvey Fierstein. It is now a premier for Broadway at Music Circus.<br /><br /> Entering the Wells Fargo Pavilion is like walking into a Brooklyn tenement, with apartments over each doorway, all joined together in a spiderweb of clothes lines, each with laundry hanging from them.<br /><br /> "Kid Blink" (decidedly not the best name for the hero of this tale) is now Jack Kelly (Joey Barreiro), an older teen (so he can have a love interest), but the basics of the story are still there.<br /><br /> For "heart" there is "Crutchie" (Blake Stadnik), who has been crippled and walks with a crutch and is a perfect victim for the goons of the publishers, trying to squelch the boys.<br /> There is a love interest, Katherine (Laurie Veldheer), a reporter trying to make it in a male dominated world, and hiding a surprising secret.<br /><br /> There is Davey (John Krause) and his little brother Les (Josh Davis) who, unlike the others, have a home and parents, but who join the others in selling the papers, and protesting the fee increase.<br /><br /> But this show belongs to the newsies themselves. The dancing is amazing and you do get the feel of their camaraderie as well as their desperation.<br /><br /> Paul Schoeffler is powerful as Joseph Pulitzer, who only cares about money and doesn’t have a bit of compassion for the kids (gee...where have we heard that lately?)<br /><br /> Music Circus’ ubiquitous Ron Wisniski has a short but outstanding appearance as a bombastic Teddy Roosevelt (then governor of New York), which earned him well-deserved applause as he left the stage.<br /><br /> The high energy physicality and enthusiasm of the cast make this an engaging production...and of course the David vs Goliath struggle is always good to keep an audience entertained!<br /><br /> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The nice thing about this week's show is that I was able, with some struggle, to get to my feet by myself at the end of the show.&nbsp; Walt has discovered a new trick.&nbsp; He pushes gently toward the bottom of my spine and apparently that makes all the difference in the world.&nbsp; It gives me just that little bit I need to be able to get my knees to stand up.</span></span></div>Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0